Where Loyalties Lie
by L.V.Owl
Summary: When a muggle girl comes to stay with the Dursleys, she finds herself thrown into a world of magic, mystery and murder. ON HIATUS
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

A lone figure limped down the empty lamp lit street of London. The crumbling houses that lined the block of Spinner's End were devoid of light and showed not the slightest signs of human life. Said figure, breathed heavily, eyes flickering over the area. The man, better known as Severus Snape in the wizarding world and a nameless stranger to those who unknowingly carried the title as 'muggle', suddenly doubled over in pain, clutching his left arm. He gritted his teeth trying to repress his cries. He rolled up his sleeve revealing a grotesque tattoo. It depicted a skull with a long contorted snake protruding from its mouth. The tattoo, the Dark Mark, seared with ferocity as if someone was pressing hot metal against his skin.

He fell to his knees, gasping for breath as the pain slowly faded. The Dark Lord was beckoning his followers, and judging by the intensity of the call he was furious, which was never a good thing. It meant that someone would die tonight and he hoped it wouldn't be himself.

Severus gathered his thoughts and cleared himself of any emotion, and apparated to meet with the most feared wizard of the time.

When he arrived he took notice of other death eaters, most of them were here; Lucius Malfoy among them. He bowed deeply to the cloaked figure in the center of the dimly lit room. They waited in suspended silence until the rest of the lot arrived.

The Dark Lord's gaze slowly moved from one death eater to another until it landed on Severus. He felt his eyes in him and stiffened. His breathing remained controlled and he forced himself to not show fear, even though everything in him screamed to run, to flee, to get away from the dark being before him. But it was no use, there was no escaping. There was no leaving the circle of death eaters; the only resignation he could ever achieve was death.

"Why Severus, you seem rather tense. Relax. You're among friends." hissed the Dark Lord.

He sighed inwardly, not letting his guard down. He knew what was coming and hoped he was prepared for it.

He sensed some one trying to probe his mind and quickly emptied it of all vital information, leaving only pieces of seemingly perplexing knowledge; a few Ministry uprisings, background info on the new Defense teacher, higher security measures placed on Potter, tasks given to him by Dumbledore. The Dark Lord seemed content.

"I take it you didn't gather any useful information, Severus?" he asked calmly, waiting for any sign of a lie.

"Nothing, critical I'm afraid, my lord. Although you may want to know that Potter has returned with his muggle guardians under strict watch by aurors. So any attempt to 'do away with him' would prove most difficult." Severus answered in an even tone.

"Good, good, Severus, you've served me well." He said with a small yet frightening smile. He turned to the rest of them who were now standing. "As for the rest of you," he growled, his mood switching from pleased to predatory. "I must say I am…disappointed. Among us stands a traitor,"-Lucius' head snapped up and he scanned his fellow death eaters with a sneer on his face- "I know who you are… and I give you a choice to expose yourself, and face your fate with honor."

Then without warning a death eater, Avery, threw himself at the Dark Lord's feet, groveling.

"My lord! My lord, I've always remained loyal! I swear it! Please have mercy!"

Avery attempted to kiss the hem of his black robes but the Dark Lord took a step back, repulsed. "_Crucio!_" he yelled pointing his wand at the cowering man.

He writhed in pain, his howls of pain echoed off the stone walls. Severus felt no pity towards him at all; he had bore witness to Avery's unmentionable acts of cruelty and did far worse to others than what was being done to him. He got what he deserved.

It continued like this for a few minutes until the Dark Lord grew tired of his screams. He stopped the curse and watched impassively as the once strong and proud wizard lay shaking on the floor.

"Finish him." He said to no one in particular.

Bellatrix sprang forth, a wild gleam in her eye. "_Avada Kedavra!!" _she screeched. His shaking subsided and he lay motionless, dead. She glared at the dead body of her former comrade with a fiery hatred.

Feeling it was an appropriate moment; the Dark Lord's followers sank to their knees in a respectful bow. "May this act as a warning to all whose faith is wavering. I advise you regain your confidence in me or you shall face the same end as Avery." He said gesturing to the corpse.

He dismissed them and Severus apparated as quickly as he could manage to avoid any conversation or interaction with 'them'.

The chilled night air assaulted him as he arrived back on Spinner's End. He ambled over to his home. Once at the wooden door, he glanced over his shoulder making sure he was alone. He pulled out his wand and muttered under his breath, "_Alohomora._" And the door clicked open.

He closed the door behind him, removing his outer robe and tossing it to the side. Severus sighed loudly and plopped into an armchair. His muscles ached and he could feel a migraine coming on. He closed his strained eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. When the slow throbbing of his head subsided, he rose and went to his cabinets. Looking over many labeled bottles, he grabbed a small purple vile. He carried it upstairs and laid on his bed, not bothering to change in his night clothes. He uncorked the vile and quickly downed it, making a face at the potions bitter taste and placing the empty vile on his nightstand.

It was a dreamless sleep draught. No visits from the Sandman for him. Ever since he was young, he was plagued by terrible nightmares and would wake up frantic and terrified to return to slumber. He never got much sleep because of that, which wasn't very good since his job required him to be at the top of his game. He finally relaxed; his eyelids becoming heavy… he watched the shadows on the walls and ceiling. They were always the same, every night. It was somewhat comforting to him for some strange reason, he didn't know why and was too tired to try and figure it out.

The room went in and out of focus a few times then everything became hazed but he could still make out the shadows sitting in their places… Then they seemed to grow… blending together, enveloping the room in a soft blackness…


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

The flight had been somewhat enjoyable now that it was over and Rachel's feet were firmly planted on the pavement. She stood on the curb; her suitcases at her side. Rachel looked down the street hoping to see her cab. No such luck; she waited for about another twenty minutes before giving up.

Walking over to a payphone, she drug her heavy luggage behind her. She flipped hurriedly through the phonebook to the 'D' section. Her eyes scanned the page until they rested on _Dursley, Vernon. 4 Privet Dr.,_ next to that was a phone number. She would be staying with the Dursley's during her stay in England. Rachel was in an exchange student program you see, and even though the Dursley household normally wouldn't think of opening their doors to strangers, this instance was different. After Petunia had had a seemingly pleasant conversation with one of her lady friends down the street, she found out that they were getting an exchange student. She seemed appalled at the idea at first but then came to the conclusion that she wanted one as well, like these 'exchange students' were puppies or something of that sort to be shown off. After some debate with her husband, he finally gave in. And thus the reason for Rachel's travel.

She dug into the deep pocket of her coat, finding nothing she next tried her jeans. Pulling out two dimes and a penny, she sighed. American money doesn't work in England, she thought. Ok, plan B… Too bad I didn't invent plan B!

She walked to a nearby newsstand and asked for a map, luckily for her the man gave it to her free of charge. She located her destination easily and realized she was in for a workout. Good thing I'd worn my walking shoes, Rachel thought dryly and began her trek through the city.

Meanwhile, in the house that Rachel had marked with a big red X on her map, things were hectic and the air was filled with tension.

"I WILL NOT HAVE THOSE FREAKS UNDER MY ROOF!!" Vernon Dursley bellowed at his nephew. His face was gaining a purple tinge and his sausage-like fingers were balled into fists.

"What do you want me to do? I just found out about it like you! Besides it's for safety measures, and with Voldemort back you should be relieved!" Harry shouted back.

At this, a vein in Vernon's temple started to pulse and he shook with anger. "Now you listen to me boy! That American girl will be here any minute and I won't have _your kind_ 'popping by' whenever they feel like! How am I to explain _you_ and your freaky friends!?"

"Make something up, I dunno! Better think fast cuz she's walking up the lawn right now." Harry said looking past his uncle and out the window.

Vernon spun around and made a choking noise, looking to his wife who in turn rushed to the door, a fake smile already plastered on her face. She straightened her apron and readily opened the door when a knock sounded.

Rachel was taken aback at the scene before her as the door swung open; the woman had a eerie mannequin's smile on and seemed shaken, behind her was presumably her husband who looked like his oxygen supply had been cut off, next to him was a boy, about her age who looked rather ruffled and in the very back was a pig of a boy stuffing cake in his mouth and staring unblinkingly at the TV.

"Hello, dear, you must be Rachel Watts. Come in," she said "Quickly now." And ushered her in. Petunia glanced nervously outside while Harry was shooed upstairs. Rachel frowned after him, wondering why he had to leave without introduction. Petunia followed her gaze and said in a convincing voice, "Don't mind him, he's …not sociable."

"Oh..." she replied lamely, looking around her new home. It looked as if she had stepped in an oversized Barbie house. Almost everything was covered in a nasty pink floral pattern; kind of nauseating really…

"Well, I'm Mrs. Dursley," Petunia said guiding her through the house. "And this is my husband, Vernon." He nodded. "And over there…my son, Dudley." He remained staring at the screen; Rachel smiled trying to be polite. "Popkin? We have a guest." His mother cooed to him. He grunted in return which seemed to please her.

"Now let's show you to the guest room, its just upstairs. Here let me take that."

"Its ok, I got it." said Rachel lifting her suitcases. She followed Petunia up the stairs. Her room was between the bathroom and one room with its door closed; perhaps that other boy's…

She was left alone to unpack. In about an hour her suitcases were empty and her belongings were neatly tucked away. Rachel relaxed a little, seeing her pictures on the bureau. Her parents were only a phone call away; she could pull the plug whenever she wanted. If these people turned out horrid, she could be relocated to a nicer family but she was going to try and play this out, after what happened back home she made it a point to be happy here. It was her chance to start out new.

There was a thud in the room next to hers; she rose from her bed curious. She stood outside the door; she felt like she was eavesdropping, in actuality she would have been had there been anything to eavesdrop _on._ Then she heard soft murmurs, voices, too low to hear the conversation; then there was a small pop. She leaned in closer. Suddenly the door was yanked open. She gasped and fell backward in surprise.

In the doorway, the boy stood looking just as shocked as her. "Sorry!" she said standing and dusting herself off. "I'm Rachel by the way…"

"Oh, I'm Harry Potter."

"Potter? You mean you're not their son?"

His eyebrows disappeared in his messy black hair. "What? No! 'Course not!" he said laughing.

"Oh, my mistake then." She laughed with him. I thought they said he was anti-social.., pondered Rachel. He seems normal enough. She fidgeted under the uncomfortable silence as did he.

"Err, dinner's ready I think." He said. He was right; a mouth-watering aroma wafted up the stairs to them.

Once in the kitchen she could see that everyone, save Mrs., Dursley was seated. "Oh, I was just about to call you dear-" she froze when she saw Harry and pursed her lips. "Well sit down." She snapped; her good mood diminishing.

They ate in silence; Vernon and Dudley's eyes glued to the TV the entire time. Near the end of the meal, a knock sounded at the door. "Who could it be at this blasted hour?" Vernon growled rising, with some difficulty, from his chair. He stomped over to the door and angrily flung it open. "What do you-?" he stopped mid-sentence. His face turned white and he started to back away as if he saw a headless specter.

"Vernon?" Mrs. Dursley called, worried about his change in demeanor.

"Potter! Get here NOW!" bellowed Harry's uncle. Harry dashed to the door, reaching in his pocket. Then stopped and a look of relief crossed his face; for a moment that is.

"I thought I told you to sort this out!" hissed his uncle. "I err" Harry stuttered.

"Now lets discuss this like adults, shall we?" said a third voice, it was pleasant and definitely a male's. Probably a neighbor…

"There is nothing to discuss! I won't have _your lot_ in my house!" whispered Vernon in a harsh tone, glancing over his shoulder.

Rachel wondered what they were talking about, growing worried. She glanced at Mrs. Dursley who looked like she was about to feint. Dudley on the other hand kept shoveling his third helping into his mouth and only turned to his mother when she made a whimpering sound after the strange man came into the house.

"Glad to see you're alright, Harry." The man said smiling. He had brown hair that was lightly flecked with grey and although his eyes conveyed warmth, he seemed under a lot of pressure. His attire was a simple threadbare suit that looked as if it had seen better days.

"And this must be the young lady staying with you." He said walking over to Rachel who smiled. "Hello, my name's Remus Lupin. I'll be passing by now and then to check up on you." He said shaking her hand.

"To hell you will." snarled Vernon, cautiously advancing. Lupin shot Harry a look. "Perhaps it'd be best if Dumbledore came and convinced you of the necessity of my being here…"

At this point Dudley squealed and ran past everyone up the stairs. You could hear his door slam and lock and what sounded of it being barricaded.

"Well, I guess it's settled then." Lupin said cheerily.

Vernon huffed and clomped into the kitchen to complain about 'imposing scoundrels' to his wife who eagerly agreed and vigorously nodded her head.

Rachel stood awkwardly looking at her feet until she was addressed. "I assume you're wondering why I'm here?" She nodded. Even the Dursleys in the kitchen stopped to listen. He glanced at Harry.

"A few months ago, I'm afraid Harry was witness to a severe crime." Rachel's eyes grew wide. "The criminal has yet to be apprehended and due to that, some colleges of mine and myself will be coming to keep watch. Not to worry," he said looking at her grim expression. "We're well qualified; the highest protection there is to offer." He smiled. She looked over his frail frame once more. Some protection, she thought raising an eyebrow.

What Lupin said wasn't really a lie, thought Harry; it was just enough information to explain things without, well, explaining things. And she seemed to except his deduction.

"Well, it's late. I'd better get to bed. Nice meeting you Mr. Lupin." She said heading up the stairs. "The pleasure was all mine." He said giving her a grin. "Goodnight." She called down and received the same reply back from Harry and Lupin; only a grunt from the Dursleys' direction.

Rachel lay on her bed, unable to sleep. She always had trouble drifting off to sleep when she stayed over some one's house or rearranged her furniture. Her best friend of ten years, Jason, had always said it was because of the Tai Chi and energy flow or maybe it had something to due with the change of magnetic poles…

Whatever the reason she found it harder to succumb to sleep than usual, no thanks to the newly discovered fact that some psycho nut job could break in any moment and kill them, regardless of some extra 'well qualified' person. She kept glancing at her window, afraid that some crazy guy with a chainsaw would pop up.

She turned on her side. Of course now is when every horror movie she had ever seen came to her mind. She sighed and closed her eyes. Images of Freddy Kruger, Michael Myers, the nightmarish clown from IT and other terrifying villains plagued her vision. Groaning, she sat up and pressed the small button on her watch. Tiny green numbers lit up displaying the time; it was nearly eleven.

She swung her legs over the side of the bed. Brushing away the thought that something was beneath her bed waiting to grab her feet and drag her under; she stood and stumbled to the door. Rachel paused deciding whether to put on her house robe or not; she was wearing a matching tank top and shorts but the heat was turned up high enough to keep her comfortable so she left it on the hanger. She slowly opened the door, flinching when it squeaked and tip toed down the hall. Holding onto the railing, she descended the flight of steps.

The entire downstairs was empty. The man, Lupin, must've left because he was nowhere to be seen and no other rooms in the house were available. She suddenly felt alone and defenseless. She felt like someone was watching her, lurking in the shadows waiting to attack. She gulped, walking to the kitchen. With a thud she fell to the floor; she had tripped over something round. "Ow…" she said rubbing her elbow on which she landed. She turned to see what caused her to trip; she picked it up. After blinded examination she made it out to be ball of some sort; a baseball, judging by size. She rolled it out of her path and finally made it into the kitchen. The tiles were cold beneath her feet and it sent a shiver up her spine which made her rub her arms. Should've worn my house robe, she thought, frowning.

She pulled open the refrigerator door; the light caused her to shield her eyes. Grabbing the bottle of milk, she took a glass out of the cabinet and sat at the table. She poured a glass of milk and nearly choked when a sharp pop sounded in the next room. Her breath caught in her throat. Someone was in the house, she thought frantically. No, no she was hallucinating, letting her mind play tricks on her. That was it; she was just hearing things… Then she heard another noise, for sure this time; like someone bumping into a table or chair. Her blood ran cold. The killer guy!, she thought hysterically. She rose quickly from her chair and silently walked to the entryway. She peeked around the doorframe and -to her utter horror- saw a looming figure holding what appeared to be a long dagger.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

Severus had been sitting in the kitchen of Number 12 Grimmauld Place for about an hour, politely turning down Molly's continuous offers of food that never seemed to stop. The woman was determined to have him gain _at least_ ten pounds every time she saw him. It was always, "Dear, you're looking thinner than a broomstick! Best put some meat on those bones!" Or "Heavens! You look famished! Here, I'll fix you something to eat." The bloody woman wouldn't leave him be! He wasn't a man of patience; it was only a matter of time before he snapped and said more than a well-mannered "No thank you."

The kitchen door swinging open brought Severus out of his momentary trance. It was Black; upon seeing Severus seated in his kitchen, he shot him a nasty look.

"Oh, Sirius, would you like something to eat?" Molly asked in a sweet tone.

"No, thanks," he looked at Severus, "I've lost my appetite." Severus in return, sneered.

A sharp _crack _sounded in the living room followed by Lupin entering, a tired expression on his face. "Sirius," he nodded towards Black, "Severus, I believe your shift has started."

He rose silently from his chair, gave Lupin and Black a glare and wordlessly left the room. Crossing the living room, he went to the second floor landing. Standing next to the sleeping portrait of Mrs. Black, he smirked before apparating knowing that his loud departure would surely cause the painting's occupant to endlessly screech for at least an hour.

The living room of Number 4 Privet Drive was extinguished of all light. Severus squinted his eyes through the darkness, trying to find a clear path to the stairs. He started carefully edging his way to the stairs when he heard a feint clink of glass to his left; he paused listening. He pulled out his wand, ready to use it if need be. After a moment of silence, he dismissed the noise he had heard as nothing more than glasses settled in the sink. He turned and bumped into something rather hard, presumably a small table. Cursing under his breath, he rubbed his sore knee and straightened himself.

Rachel's mind was racing. Her first thought was to hide and hope that the intruder doesn't find her, then she realized what a coward she was being. 'I can't just let Harry get killed because I'm worried about my self-preservation', she thought. 'Maybe I can call the police…but the phones in the living room!'

The person-whoever they were- was moving towards the staircase. Harry's room was just at the top, she had to act now! Remembering the baseball she silently crept into the next room heading towards where she had tripped. 'Where there's a baseball…' she thought feeling around on the floor, 'there's a baseball bat!' And just as she thought that, she picked up the bat, most likely Dudley's. 'And it's a metal one too!' she thought feeling somewhat protected.

A squeak on the steps alerted her. She stealthily walked to the bottom of the stairs; the figure was almost at the top. Rachel held the bat, ready to swing and began up the steps after the person. She cringed when a squeak sounded from under her; she looked up just as the figure spun around.

"Potter?" the person hissed. Rachel said nothing and edged down the stairs still facing the man.

"Identify yourself!" he demanded raising his hand holding the stiletto.

She tripped on the last step, nearly dropping the bat which she held over her chest in a protective manner. He advanced towards her slowly wielding the dagger in front of him. This is when 'fight or flight' mode kicked in. In any other case in which Rachel _wasn't_ armed with a steel bat, she would've screamed and ran but that _not _being the case the result was different. One that neither the not so ill-intentioned intruder _nor_ Rachel could've predicted.

"Lumo-," the man begun but was cut off by Rachel's sudden battle cry. She leapt to her feet and with all her might, swung wildly at his head. He tried to side-step the attack but the bat collided with his shoulder. He backed away as Rachel continued to swing madly at him.

"Expelliamus!" he yelled and the bat flew out of her hands and collided with a wall.

Defenseless, Rachel backed up against the wall, staring up at the man in fear. 'This is it…' she thought shutting her eyes tight. The thought of how he had disarmed her without touching her hadn't even crossed her panicked mind. The upstairs hall light turned on causing her to open her eyes. Dudley waddled halfway down the stairs, and then wide-eyed observed the scene. "Help me!" Rachel yelled, hoping the overweight boy could overpower the intruder. No suck luck. Dudley turned and waddled back up the stairs, bolting his door behind him. 'So much for a rescue!' she thought bitterly. Turning her attention back to the intruder, who was still holding- it wasn't a knife….it was…a stick? He looked her over with cold black eyes. She gulped and scooted further into the corner.

A door opened upstairs, followed by footsteps. Rachel didn't look away this time until she heard a voice. "Professor?" It was Harry! She looked to him helpless; silently pleading that he wouldn't run and leave her as well. He started down the steps, mouth agape.

"Professor, what are you doing here?" he asked in a dumbfounded manner. "Harry, I'm so glad you're here! I was so scared!" Rachel said jumping up and clinging on to Harry's pajamas, tears present in her eyes.

"The question, Potter, is 'what is _she_ doing here'." The man said nodding at Rachel.

"Err…she…she's staying with the Dursley's…She's an exchange student." Harry said slowly, still alarmed at seeing his professor. "You know him?" Rachel whispered to Harry.

"Err yeah, he's my err teacher." He said hoping that she wouldn't press for too much information. She gave him a confused look, "Why's your teacher here in the middle of the night?"

He stared at her flabbergasted. "Err summer school?" She gave him an incredulous look, "At midnight?" He raised his eyebrows, trying to think of a reply.

"Out of the way, Potter" the man said raising his stick, wand? Whatever it was.

Harry seemed reluctant but cooperated nonetheless. "Harry…." She whispered, tears stinging her eyes.

"Obliviate!"

Rachel woke with the sun streaming in through her window. She rubbed her eyes and sat up in bed. She must've gone out like a light because the last thing she could remember was meeting Mr. Lupin… She hadn't had any dreams either, which was odd for her. Still not quite awake, Rachel looked at her watch and in seeing it was well past noon she sprang out of bed and hurried down stairs.

The Dursleys were rushing about, getting ready for something. "Oh, dear, good you're up. I was just about to wake you." Mrs. Dursley said with a shaky smile.

"Sorry, I overslept." Rachel said meekly.

"No need to worry, dear. Now go get dressed, we should be leaving soon. We'll stop to eat at a diner along the way."

"Where are we going?" Rachel asked, unmoving.

Mrs. Dursley paused from fussing over Dudley. "To a flower show; there's a contest held twice a year in Surrey. I've gotten first prize for the past seven years and plan to keep the title." She said proudly.

"Oh, good luck then. I guess I'll wake Harry." Rachel said noticing his absence.

"No!" Mrs. Dursley exclaimed. "I mean…he won't be coming." She said recomposing herself.

Rachel gave her a confused look. "Why?"

Mrs. Dursley blinked as she tried to think of a reason besides his being a _freak._

"Shouldn't he come, seeing as there's a criminal looking for him? Leaving him alone; he's a sitting duck!"

"He'll be just fine." Mr. Dursley intervened, coming to his wife's aid. "I've asked a neighbor to come check in on him every few hours. Everything's fine, so go get ready."

Rachel bit her lip; it still seemed unfair to leave him all alone. He'd probably be scared.

"I can't go…I'm allergic to some certain plants and flowers…like…Peruvian tulips!" she lied hoping they'd buy her fib.

The Dursley exchanged a nervous glance; they didn't like the idea of leaving her alone with '_the boy'_, especially after last night's episode. They tried to persuade her to join them, they even tried to bribe her with gifts but she firmly declined their offers leaving Dudley to take his parents up on them.

"Now remember, you could always go to Mrs. Figg if anything…unusual happens." Mrs. Dursley said giving her an apprehensive look.

"Ok…I'll keep that in mind." Rachel said wondering what she could've meant by _unusual._

Mrs. Dursley held her prized magnolias to her chest and after giving Rachel a look as if the girl were going off to war; she hurried away and hopped into the car. Rachel waved as she watched them drive off and closed the door. She could've sworn she saw them drive around the block a few times…

She had decided to cook breakfast for herself and Harry; it wasn't as disastrous as she had expected. By the time she'd finished and he'd come downstairs, the meal looked edible, good even.

"Mm what's cooking?" Harry asked as he entered the kitchen.

"Breakfast, silly." Rachel said smiling. "Here, sit and I'll fix you a plate."

Harry, more used to doing the serving than being served, awkwardly plopped onto a chair. "I thought you were going with the Dursleys…"

"I was…until I found out they planned on ditching you." She said making his plate up.

He blushed slightly, "You didn't have to…"

"I wanted to." She smiled.

She set his plate in front of him and took a seat across the table, watching him intently as he ate. He didn't turn green, didn't gag nor did he run to the bathroom; maybe she had cooked a decent non-toxic meal for once or maybe he just had a strange toleration for awful food.

"That was great, Rachel." He said leaning back in his chair once he finished.

"Really? You're just saying that…" she said disbelieving.

"Honestly, you're a great cook." He said smiling.

She smiled back, blushing. An awkward silence came over them. Rachel jumped up and took his plate to the sink. "What do you want to do now?" she asked with her back turned.

"Well…we could watch TV or use one of Dudley's games or…go for a walk?"

"That sounds nice. Let me get changed." Rachel said heading upstairs. Harry followed suit.

Once they were both ready, they headed out. They walked the length of Privet Drive before turning onto Wisteria Walk. "Here, this is a shortcut to the park." Harry said gesturing to an alleyway. "Oh, cool. I guess I'll learn my way around here sometime." She laughed. Memories from the dementor attack flooded his mind; it had been in this very alley…A startled scream and Rachel crashing into him shook Harry from his reverie.

"What is it?" he asked worried.

"I saw a rat!" she said ducking behind him. Sure enough, a scruffy looking rat sat gazing up at them. "Shoo!" he exclaimed waving his arms. The rat squeaked and skittered across the alley into an overturned trashcan.

"Thanks." Rachel said taking a deep breath.

"No problem."

Upon entering the park, they walked through the trees for awhile then settled for talking on the swings. Harry did his best at avoiding the subject of school but it seemed impossible; most of their conversations led back to "So what's school like around here?" and "Do you go to Smeltings as well?"

He carefully covered up all wizard related information. All he had told her was that he went to a boarding school and had the option of coming back on holidays. He didn't want her to have her memory erased again; he still felt bad for letting Snape do it even though it was for her own good.

"Wow, it's been five hours! We should be getting back; the Dursleys could be home by now. They might be worried." said Rachel suddenly.

"I doubt it." Harry said but got up anyway.

They quickly made their way back to Privet Drive and halted before the sight that met their eyes. The door to Number Four was open and the Dursley's car wasn't in the driveway. 'Oh m' god…someone broke in.' Rachel thought panicking. Harry reached into his pocket and advanced towards the door.

"Stay here. If anything happens, I want you to get out of here. Go to a neighbor's, somewhere safe, okay?" he said in a stern voice that meant no arguing.

She nodded and he cautiously entered. There was no sign of forced entry and nothing was out of place. Heart pounding he checked each of the downstairs rooms; no one was to be found. Wand raised, he proceeded to the second floor. He headed to his room, pausing outside the door. He flung it open ready to hex the intruder but found it empty. Harry breathed a sigh of relief and made his way back to his door. Had he expected it to be thrown open, he would have made an attempt to move out of its way. But all he managed to do was let out a startled cry as it hit him square in the face and knocked him to the ground.

"Wotcher, Harry! Sorry I didn't see you there!" said Tonks extending a hand which Harry took. "Hope you weren't hurt too bad."

"Tonks! What in the world are- oh. The Order…" Harry said answering his own question.

"Where were you, Harry? Nearly scared me to death when I found the house was empty. Almost alerted Dumbledore!" she said flabbergasted.

"Oh, sorry we were in the park."

"We? Oh, you mean the yank. Next time leave a note or something! Could only imagine what Moody would have done if it had been _his_ shift!"

"Sorry." he said again. "Oh! Rachel, she's still outside. I'd better let her know everything's okay." Harry said rushing down the stairs, Tonks following.

Rachel was relieved to see that Harry was okay. She had been close to tears, imagining the worst. Seated in the living room she saw a girl, a bit older than her with bright pink hair. She stood in greeting, "You must be Rachel. The name's Tonks." She said shaking her hand.

"Nice to meet you."

"Err…could you excuse Harry and I for a moment?" she said suddenly looking nervous.

"Sure…" said Rachel walking into the kitchen to give them space. 'She looks a bit young to be one of Mr. Lupin's collegues...'

Once she was out of earshot Tonks turned to Harry with a troubled expression. "I'm afraid I've got bad news…" she took him by the shoulders. "Harry, there's been an attack."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

"An attack on his own followers…" said Albus Dumbledore pacing in his study. "It just doesn't make sense!"

Said headmaster of Hogwarts had been thinking aloud for the past few days ever since he got news of the death eater attack at Azkaban and Severus Snape along with a few other Order members had been subject to listening. Severus and Minerva McGonagall were now presently seated across from the headmaster's empty desk trying to calm him in his ranting and raving; so far from his usual cheerful self. Things had been really wearing him down the past few months and this was the result of putting unbroken pressure on the weary headmaster.

"He had targeted his loyal followers and didn't even do so to help them escape. In fact those whose cells _were_ visited had been tortured into madness! I'm beginning to lose my sanity as well!"

"Perhaps, headmaster, the Dark Lord's intentions hadn't been to free his followers at all…but to gain something else…It seems he was looking for something or someone." Severus suggested.

Albus quelled as the words sunk in, but they only aroused more unanswerable questions. "Then what? What is Voldemort looking for?"

Both his associates cringed at the mention of _his_ name; by now they should've grown used to Albus' frequent use of the poisonous name but it still struck fear into their hearts.

"You'll have to give it time, Albus. You can't keep pushing yourself like this-" Minerva began.

"We don't have any time to spare, Minerva. The Dark Lord is scheming something and we must find out what it is to stop it before it's too late." Albus said collapsing into his high backed chair and removing his half-moon spectacles. He sighed heavily and rubbed his temples. Severus and Minerva exchanged a worried glance. If he continued in this state any longer he'd probably have a nervous breakdown and that's the _last_ thing the Order needed at the moment.

"Headmaster, I suppose I could have a 'little chat' with Malfoy and see what information I can get out of him. Given the right incentive, I'm very confident that he could prove useful." Severus offered hoping to lighten the dismal atmosphere that's been accumulating in the room.

Albus looked up and forced a smile but the twinkle hadn't yet returned to his eyes. "Thank you, Severus. You've done so much for us already; I cannot ask any more of you." Severus nodded and stood excusing himself.

The castle was silent and peaceful; Severus didn't bother getting used to it seeing as in less than a month it would be filled with chaotic noise and bratty children. But nonetheless he _did_ enjoy being able to hear his own thoughts. Deep blow the castle in the dungeons, _his_ dungeons, the air carried an ever present chill and drowned the corridors in shadow. He didn't need the torches to know where he was going; he knew every twist and turn of the labyrinth and could very well navigate his way through them using only memory.

He came to a stop in front of his quarters, pulled out his wand and muttered his password. There was a soft click and he pushed the door open. Shutting it firmly behind him, he took off his outer robes and settles in an armchair across from his fireplace. On the small table before him was a tray of steaming tea, biscuits and -he pursed his lips- lemon drops. It seemed the headmaster cared more for Severus' well-being than his own. Sighing, he sank back into the chair. After a moment debating whether or not to touch the tray he gave in and poured himself a cup of tea. He sighed again. Putting it off wasn't going to change anything. He stood, gathered his robes and left his tea for the house elves to take care of.

Severus apparated just outside of Malfoy Manor. It stood proud and brooding but all it's majesty went unnoticed by Severus. He gave a few curt knocks to the giant wood doors and they were answered moments later by a cowering house elf.

"Good evening, sirs. To what nature do the Malfoys owes your visit?" it squeaked.

"Business," he said stepping past it and into the foyer. He walked quickly in the hope of losing the persistent servant in its attempts to take his cloak. In the entertaining room, he found Draco poking a few keys on a great mahogany piano. He looked up startled at the new presence.

"Professor." He said eyebrows raised.

"Draco." Severus replied sourly.

"You're here to see my father?"

"Yes, where is he?"

"In his study but I don't think you should interrupt-"

He ignored Draco's warning and proceeded up the long spiral staircase. Coming to the end of the hall he turned to his left and pressed the wall before him. It swung open revealing a secret chamber, Lucius' study.

Lucius smiled. "I was told someone arrived. Had I known it was you I'd have come in greeting." He said walking over to Severus. They stood at arms length. Lucius grimaced. "You act as if we're strangers…Come now, Severus, you're not one to drop by for friendly visits…Surely you're here to gain something…What is troubling you…my friend?" he added giving Severus a grin that seemed more sinister than pleasant.

"Must I have a reason to stop by an old friend's house? I merely thought it the right time to catch up on things…" Severus replied coolly.

He looked Severus over for a moment before nodding in agreement. "It _has_ been to many a year…Here, have a seat; make yourself at home."

About two hours of reminiscin_g _and four bottles of fire whiskeyLucius was feeling the effects of the intoxicating beverage more so than Severus who hadn't even finished his third glass.

"Lucius…about that raid at Azkaban…have you heard anything about what it was about?" he asked slowly letting his question sink in.

Lucius stared at him long and hard. He almost thought that he should've waited longer before pushing the topic but then Lucius blinked and gave a lop sided smirk. "Have I heard about it…" he laughed. "I was _part _of it! It was some fun but…" he grew angry "…it was useless! Must've given that old hack a good idea of our lord's plans!" He looked lazily at Severus for confirmation.

Severus raised his eyebrows. "Actually, he's clueless…" Lucius snorted. "And he sent _you_ out to gather information I bet…" He shot him an accusing look. "I came here of my own accord, Lucius. Not to trick you." Severus said firmly.

His look softened, "I suppose you're right, Severus…as always. These raids have left me uneasy…and the Dark Lord grows intolerant."

"What were you searching for...?" Severus asked, getting impatient.

Lucius leaned forward in a informative manner. "Only his trusted few can know… Do you know what he possesses? What must never fall into the hands of our enemy?" he hissed. Severus remained silent. "Do you know what the source of his power is? Where it lies?" Severus' eyes widened in realization.

Lucius continued, "One is unaccounted for…"

* * *

Rachel wasn't sure why but ever since the walk in the park, the –guards? She guessed she could call them- were always on watch, never leaving the house until the next one arrived. And their constant presence put the Dursleys in a foul mood though it could also be blamed on Mrs. Dursley's coming in _second_ place in the flower show.

They seemed to be trying to go out and leave the house as much as possible, trying to avoid contact with Harry's guards at all costs. She hadn't a clue why, they all seemed so nice- well except for that one with the weird eye. He kind of scared Rachel… But aside from that there was no reason to treat them like they had the plague.

The Dursleys were out. Just _out_, they gave no other explanation and Harry and Rachel didn't ask for one. They weren't as pushy as before in their trying to get Rachel to accompany them. They asked her if she was coming, when she replied that she'd rather not they had high tailed it out of there without another word.

It was a sluggish Sunday in August; Harry and Rachel sat on the couch in front of the TV watching the news. It was boring; the only thing that caught their interest was a restroom in some mall whose toilets kept flushing. Harry sighed. "Do you want to do anything?" Rachel looked the man, Kingsley Shacklebolt, who sat reading in one of the armchairs. "I dunno, what's there to do?"

Harry thought for a moment. Just then the mail slot in the front door clicked shut, alerting them to the letter under it. "I'll get it." They said at the same time but Rachel beat him to it. She held the envelope out with a confused look on her face.

_Harry Potter_

_The couch_

_Number Four Privet Drive_

_Surrey_

"It's for you." She handed it to him which he took readily. 'But there isn't post on Sundays…' she thought to herself. She looked out the window; there wasn't a postman in sight. 'How then did they know he was on the couch…?'

He and Kingsley gave her an odd look. She smiled out of nervousness. "I'm going to get something to drink…would you like anything?" she asked. They both shook their heads and returned to what they had been doing. She stepped into the kitchen.

'Weird…' she thought pouring a glass of water.

A loud noise was heard in the gardens out back, followed by footsteps and a knock at the back door. Puzzled, Rachel walked over to it. Kingsley came to her side, suspicious of the visitor. He pulled back the floral curtains and on the other side of the glass was the smiling face of Tonks. "Good God woman…" he said opening the door. "You could've warned me you'd come through the back."

"Sorry," she said shuffling her feet. "Landed in the wrong spot I guess…Haven't quite got it down pat." He cleared his throat and jerked his head in Rachel's direction. She made an 'oh' expression then pretended nothing happened.

"Good to see you again, Rachel. Ah, there you are Harry." Kingsley said goodbye and left, closing the door behind him. "I'm guessing the mug- err- they're out?" she said. A feint pop was heard outside.

"Err yeah, they didn't say where though." Harry informed her.

"So…what do you do for fun around here?" Tonks asked looking bored already.

* * *

The Dursleys arrived home around nine. Dudley had decided to spend the night at Malcolm's house; one of his gang members. The Dursleys passed the three wordlessly carrying groceries as they sat finishing their movie. It was some British horror film but it turned out to be more of a comedy then a chiller.

After the movie was finished, they noticed Petunia making supper. Rachel rose and offered to help her. Harry and Tonks stayed seated not really knowing what to do.

Rachel began to chop some vegetables with precision for the stew while Mrs. Dursley prepared everything else. The meal was almost done when suddenly Mrs. Dursley let out a long scream and jumped onto a chair waving her arms madly.

"What's wrong?!" Mr. Dursley asked springing from his previous position in from of the kitchen TV.

His wife only made whimpering noises and pointed near the door. Their eyes went to it. And two beady eyes looked back at them. Mrs. Dursley screamed again, "Rat!!!" she managed to get out. Mr. Dursley thundered over to the rodent wielding a broomstick. He began swatting at the terrified creature which in turn scampered through the dog door that had been built for Marge's visits when she'd bring Ripper.

Mrs. Dursley remained on the chair until the dog door had been taped, boarded and barricaded up. Mr. Dursley tried comforting her but her eyes stayed fixed on the door. Rachel was left to finish dinner but it didn't bother her. It gave her the opportunity to leave out the avocadoes; she just couldn't stand them. Tonks joined them for dinner; to the Dursleys dismay whose only mutter of disapproval was along the lines of 'imposing barbarians'.

Just as the ladies were collecting the dishes, Mrs. Dursley paused looking out the kitchen window. "Vernon," she said slowly. "Come look at this…there's a commotion outside."

He waddled over and squinted through the dark. "Some wild party…bunch of crazy people getting drunk I'd expect. Never liked our new neighbors…" he grumbled.

Tonks furrowed her brow. "Harry, stay here, I'm going to take a look outside." She said peering through the flowery curtain. He nodded and watched her leave. He stood on guard by the door in case she needed help with whatever was going on out there.

A loud noise went off outside causing Harry to run out of the house. "Harry, Tonks said to wait here!" Rachel yelled after him. He either ignored her or didn't hear her. She ran after him.

Outside was chaotic; full of screams and panicked people. She spotted Harry running around to the front of the house. "Harry, wait!"

Rachel sprinted after him but stopped dead at the scene before her…

* * *

A/N: Dun dun Daaah! Don't you just hate cliffies? Hope you liked it, I'll try to get the next chapter out faster but only if people review! I feel like I'm talking to myself! Prolly am… Anywho, I wonder how many people noticed something 'off' in this chapter…hint hint lol You'll find out later. Until then… 


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: **I dont own anything you recognize

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Chapter Five 

"M-master, he's there. W-with the muggles…" sniveled Wormtail at the Dark Lord's feet.

"Good, good…is that it?" the Dark Lord asked in a cold voice.

Wormtail looked up frightened. "W-well there was an auror…but she a-appeared to be inexperienced. Very young..." He added quickly, sensing danger.

He contemplated the situation for a moment then a bone chilling smile crept onto his reptilian features. "Fine. You've done well, Wormtail." He said to the cowering wizard. "Tell the others that I have another task for them…"

* * *

Fires blazed in the neighboring houses. People were frantically running about screaming like mad. Sirens could be heard in the distance but it didn't seem it would do any good. The intense heat stung her eyes; she squinted through the confusion looking for her friend. "Harry?! Harry?! Where are you?" she yelled futilely. 

She stood in the middle of the hectic crowd, scanning faces, looking for Harry but he was nowhere to be seen. 'Maybe he made it out okay.' She thought desperately but knew that he still was in the tangle of this inferno. A group of figures caught her eye. Spinning around she took in their standing. There was about ten of them, all in black cloaks of some sort, each wearing a mask. Right away Rachel knew they were the cause of this hellhole.

Her instincts took over; she ran away from them without thinking, still searching for any sign of- "Harry!!"

Rachel stopped in her tracks and whipped around to where the voice had come from. Then she saw him. Tonks ran over to Harry and seemed to be trying to get him to run. "No, wait!"

"Harry, c'mon we have to get out of here! There're too many of them!" Tonks bellowed above the blare of voices.

"I saw Rachel out there! I'm not leaving without her!" he yelled back to her.

Just off to their left, a new volley of cries erupted catching their attention. Many of the muggles and the whole police squad that had arrived were hung in hid air and seemed to be in terrible pain, most likely the work of the Cruciatus curse.

Tonks took a hold of Harry's arm. "There's no time! We have to go now!" Tonks shouted. "I can't leave her-" he started to protest but Tonks tightened her grip on his arm and apparated to the Order headquarters. Fortunately, there happened to be an Order meeting taking place. Tonks and Harry arrived in the living room causing Mrs. Black to begin her howling again and that causing the Weasley twins, who had been putting their extendable ears to good use, to tumble down the stairs.

"Hey, Harry. Long time no see." Said Fred casually.

"How's it going?" asked George, rolling up the flesh colored string.

"No time for pleasantries, boys." Tonks said marching into the kitchen, Harry in close pursuit. She flung open the door which collided with some one on the other side. Tonks looked to see Lupin stand and dust himself off. She blushed and gave him an apologetic look.

"You're supposed to be watching the boy!" growled Moody before seeing Harry.

"There's been an-" Tonks began. "Death eaters! There's death eaters at Privet Drive! They're attacking everyone!" Harry shouted, awaiting their reaction.

Dumbledore stood solemnly and spoke, "We must act now. And swiftly," Most of the Order members apparated on cue but a select few remained behind to wait on further instructions. "I'm going too." Harry said stepping forward.

"I'm afraid you can't, Harry. It's too great a risk." Dumbledore said calmly.

"Rachel's out there because of me! I can't let her-"he objected.

"Harry," Dumbledore said raising his hands in a calming manner. "I assure you that Miss Watts will be unharmed." He nodded to Severus who in turn apparated.

"Excuse me but I must depart. Surely it'd be best to keep the Ministry at bay till we have some answers to the question they'll undoubtedly ask." And with that, Dumbledore left them.

"Oh, Harry dear, you've had a long night. Is there anything I can fix you, dear?" asked Mrs. Weasley. Harry shook his head. "Well, then you'd best get to bed. You'll find Ron and the others upstairs."

He nodded and headed for the steps. "Harry, may I have a word?" asked Sirius emerging from the kitchen. "Sure." Said Harry. Sirius took a seat on the old worn couch which let out a cloud of dust upon impact. Harry found a seat next to his godfather; an uneasy silence settled over them until Sirius spoke, "You can't go blaming yourself for the attack, Harry. None of us seen it coming when we should have…If anyone it's us who is to hold the guilt…" he said glancing over to his godson. "Don't worry any more; there are plenty of aurors to get an upper hand on the situation. Your friend will be just fine." Harry sighed. "Come on, lad. Get some rest.' Sirius said clapping him on the back.

Harry stood and meandered over to the staircase. "Thanks, Sirius." He said. Sirius nodded and then added smiling, "Make sure you don't wake my dear ol' mum." Harry smiled back and then made his way up to bed. As he walked a door creaked open behind him. "Death eaters in Surry?" whispered George. "What's next, Mad-Eye attending ballet?" Fred laughed. Harry ignored them, not in the mood for jokes and wordlessly closed the door to his room. Inside he found Ron fast asleep, sprawled out on one of the beds. Harry found himself unable to sleep, not because of Ron's snoring-though that may have had something to do with it-but due to the uneasy feeling of Rachel at the mercy of a mob of bloodthirsty death eaters…

* * *

Rachel's heart pounded against her ribcage; her mind raced. She had just seen Harry and Tonks disappear right before her eyes; literally! 'These people in cloaks are part of some cult..', she thought. But even if this was all part of an occult ritual or something, that didn't explain how those people were floating or how jets of light shot out of the sticks they held like weapons. It was like magic! Only not the friendly bibbity-bobity-boo fairy tale type magic but more like the dark, scary, enslave the human race kind of magic. 

A loud tirade of bangs and pops snapped her back into reality. More robed people arrived, all wielding sticks similar to the others in uniform. They began counterattacking the cult members, merely immobilizing them. Rachel was scared out of her wits. These new comers were just as bad as the people in black; she all she knew they could be a rival cult or something of the sort.

Then a familiar face caught her eye- Mr. Lupin! For a moment she was relieved as if her savior had come but then, she saw him fire a spell at an opponent. 'He's…he's one of them!'

At this, Rachel ducked out of sight, hoping to remain undiscovered. She crouched low behind a parked car. She took this time to gather her thoughts. Whoever or _whatever_ these people were, they couldn't be trusted. If Lupin was one then Tonks had to be one as well…They had kidnapped Harry! How could they!? They were supposed to be the good guys…

_Crack!_

Rachel gasped at the proximity of the sound; it was close, _very _close. Holding her breath she peeked under the car. A pair of black boots just on the other side of the car met her sight. Her eyes grew wide. 'If I stay quiet, maybe they'll go away…' she thought desperately. The owner of the boots took a few steps closer to the car, Rachel scurried closer to the vehicle so if they were to look over it, she'd wouldn't be seen, and then the person walked away. Rachel heaved a sigh of relief. She dared a quick look through the car's window. Whoever had teleported-for that's what she presumed they did-near her was no where in sight. "That was close…" she whispered to herself.

Turning away from the car, she again met the pair of boots. She froze as her eyes traveled up the figure. He had a set of black robes on, his hair was jet black and hung just above his shoulders but his eyes were what startled her most. They were cold and emotionless.

Then he spoke, in an icy voice that matched his demeanor. "Miss Watts," he began. 'How does he know my name?' Rachel thought hysterically. Before he could get another word in she was on her feet. She made a dash past him and just fell inches short of his grasp. She knew she couldn't outrun him; he'd catch her in a matter of minutes. Her only hope was to try and lose him. She hopped over some low hedges and ran through the yard, heading to the back alleys. She had no clue whatsoever where she was going but wanted to put some distance between her and the pursuer who was doing a decent job with keeping up with her. He shouted something but the blood pounding in her ears drowned it out. Without warning a stream of red light shot past her, scarcely missing her head. She jerked away from it, even though it had dispersed, causing her to trip and fall flat on her stomach.

Her head whipped around. He was about two yards from her and closing in fast. Scared as she was, she managed to get to her feet and dart for a side alley. Breathing hard she found herself at a dead end. A metal gate loomed over her; barbed wire lining the top. She could hear his footsteps beating the ground; her only choice was to climb the gate. The wire didn't look too inviting and she wasn't looking to the long drop on the other side either but when she heard him skid to a halt at the end of the alley, she lunged at the gate and began climbing as fast as she could. He was on her in minutes. Just as she tenderly grabbed at the wire wanting to get it out of the way, he took a hold of her foot, yanking her down. The barbed wire ripped through her hand, blood gushed from the wound. She let out a shriek and fell backwards. But instead of hitting the hard ground, she came crashing down on the man.

Taking advantage of his stunned nature, she leapt off him and made another run for it. Unfortunately for her, fate had it that she _wasn't _to escape that night. He reached out and seized her ankle causing her to fall. Before she could react, he had wrapped his arms tightly around her, preventing any escape attempts she might try. She thrashed about for a few moments before giving up; having lost too much energy from the chase.

"Let me go." She panted; all her struggling having ceased. He didn't answer. Rachel could feel his heart beating as fast as hers. "Let me go!" she said again, a bit of defiance in her voice. He sighed, obvious not used to chasing teenagers through mazes of alleys. "I'm not trying to hurt you." He said finally, "I trying to help you. Potter-"

"What did you do to Harry?!" she demanded.

He clamped a hand over her mouth. "I wasn't finished." He snapped. "Potter, wanted to see you weren't hurt. I am to bring you-ahh!" he yelped as Rachel bit his hand covering her mouth.

"Let go!" she cried, the coppery taste of blood in her mouth.

"Weren't you listening to a bloody thing I said?!" he yelled.

In honesty, she wasn't. This was all too much to take in; Rachel's head was spinning like mad. His voice grew distant, her vision blurred. The last thing she could recall was an odd tugging sensation behind her naval…

* * *

A/N: Hope you guys and gals liked it! Please review!! I know there are more of you out there! I need input!!! And some help with which way it should go. HPOC or SSOC???? or should I just make it neutral? PLEASE REVIEW!! 

Special note to Evey: (yes you should feel special) Harry isnt OOC (at least I dont think he is..) Sevvie's the same as well. I already know what pairing you're going to choose but review anyway... Amo!!


	6. Chapter 6

DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything HP related

* * *

Chapter Six

The first thing Rachel noticed was the smell of breakfast cooking. She slowly looked around, taking in the dust infested room. She was lying on a worn couch and was covered with piles of various blankets. Sitting up stretching, she felt a sharp pain shoot through her hand. She winced looking down at her hand; it was bandaged. She took a moment to reflect on the happenings of the previous night. 'Just stay calm, Rachel…" she told herself.

She nearly jumped out of her skin when a door opened. A plump red haired woman came in from the kitchen. "Oh, good I was just going to wake you, dear. You gave us quite a scare when Prof. Snape brought you. He said you passed out after you cut your hand. Poor thing…but all is set right now." She said cheerfully in one breath "Come, best have a spot of breakfast."

"Where's Harry?" Rachel exclaimed getting to her feet.

The woman stared for a moment before saying. "He's upstairs dear, still-" Not waiting to hear the rest of her words, she dashed up the stairs. She seemed to be drawn to one door in particular; she skipped the first few and flung open the one near the end. She breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing Harry sleeping peacefully-not chained to a wall or strapped to an electric chair. She then noticed there was another boy in the room, probably the woman's son, judging by the hair. She turned away when a hand was placed on her shoulder. "There you see, he's just fine, dear." Said the woman "Now you go eat while it's still hot, I'll wake the boys. Oh, Sirius will be waiting in the kitchen, dear."

Rachel nodded vaguely, still wary of these strangers. "And best keep your voice down in the halls." She whispered. On her way back down, she noticed a bunch of plaques lining the wall, each having the head of a very ugly creature with a big nose. 'They look like Halloween masks…' She would have touched one to see if it were rubber but for fear that they'd come alive she refrained from it.

Once in the kitchen, she looked around for the person called Sirius but no one save for a black dog could be found. "Sirius?" she asked the dog almost expecting an answer. It quirked its head to the side and raised its ears, giving her a questioning look. "The dog star…" she smiled remembering what she had learned in science just before she made for England. "Sirius it is." She said deciding it was the dog's name. Sirius looked up at her and wagged his tail. Turning to the table she saw that a plate of steaming food was sitting on it. She awkwardly sat down, suddenly feeling very self-conscious. Sirius walked over and nudged her arm. It startled her but she hesitantly pet his head. Some distance off, she could hear approaching voices along with footsteps. She stared at the door wishing whoever they were wouldn't enter.

The door burst open and in came a volley of boys, all with flaming red hair. "Oi, you must be Rachel." Said one of the taller ones, sitting next to her. "Mum says you were in the middle of the death eater attack. Is it true?"

"What happened?"

"Did you see You-Know-Who?"

"She doesn't know who You-Know-Who is."

"Right, was anyone hurt? Did you see the aurors? They kicked-"

"Fred, George, leave her alone. She just woke up." Said a man standing behind her.

Rachel screamed and jumped to her feet, alarmed at his sudden and stealthy appearance. 'Where the hell did he come from?!' Then she noticed the dog was gone. 'Could he have…?' No way,' she thought. He couldn't be Sirius; the dog must've slipped off when the people came in. But that didn't explain how the man stuck up on her, she was certain that the kitchen had been empty. "Rachel!" said a familiar voice. Her eyes shot up; it was Harry. She sprang from her seat and without thinking threw her arms around him; the room grew quiet. She was so overjoyed that she wasn't alone in the crazy ordeal. She drew back realizing her actions and blushed along with Harry who was as red as the other boys' hair.

"Err. How are you?" Harry asked, his eyes avoiding her.

"Fine." She said for lack of words.

He shuffled his feet. "What happened to your hand?"

"I-umm-cut it…"

"Oh…"

Thankfully the woman, accompanied by a young girl, a redhead as well, came into the kitchen, interrupting the boys who had stopped eating to watch Harry and Rachel. "Come on, hurry and finish breakfast, you lot. We need you clear out of the kitchen soon."

"Why?" the twins asked simultaneously.

Their mother gave them a look. "You know exactly why." she said turning away from them and busying herself.

"Why?" whispered Harry and the younger red-haired boy.

The twins smirked. "Order meeting."

"Going to decide what to do with…" Fred nodded at Rachel who gulped.

"But they can't Obliviate her!" Harry whispered.

"Obliva-what?" Rachel asked, fear growing.

"Obliviate. Its when they erase your memory." Harry explained.

"But didn't that already happen? What if it fries her brain?" Ron asked.

Harry kicked his shin under the table. "Already happen? I've been obivrilatied before?"

"Err…"

A few pops sounded in the other room, causing Rachel to jump. "Alright now. They're here. Now I want you upstairs and in your rooms until the meeting is over." She said waving a wand over the table. All the dishes were cleared of food and flew neatly into a pile near the sink. Rachel stared amazed. "And I mean _all_ of you." She added looking at the snickering pair of twins.

They lot of them hurried past the group of adults standing in the living room. Most were unfamiliar to Rachel but she did manage to spot Mr. Lupin, Tonks, Kingsley Shacklebolt, and that man that had kidnapped/saved her the other night; she wasn't quite sure what to think of him, or any of them for that matter.

"Harry?" she asked once they were a bit behind the others. "Who was that man in black?"

Harry seemed surprised at the question but answered nonetheless. "Snape, he's a teacher at…" he trailed off. 'Hell,' he thought 'Won't make a difference now.' "…at Hogwarts, that's the school I go to."

She opened her mouth in an 'oh' manner and was about to ask another question when they were shoved aside. "They gone yet?" asked George kneeling at the top of the stairs. Fred paused a few steps down and nodded. "All clear." he smiled. "Brilliant."

George unwrapped a large roll of flesh-colored string and fed it through the railing and it snaked its way to the kitchen. Fred knelt down beside him and put his ear near the other end of the string. "What are they saying?" Harry asked crouching beside them. Fred made shushing motions with his hands. Harry leaned in closer, trying to catch a bit of what they were saying. Rachel on the other hand, was standing awkwardly behind them wondering what they were doing.

"The Ministry's in an uproar! They actually don't believe they were death eaters!" George exclaimed in a whisper.

"Move over." Harry snapped, wanting to catch more than tidbits of the conversation. George snorted then handed him another string. "Here." he said annoyed. Harry unraveled it and held it to his ear. She furrowed her brow before kneeling beside him. "Harry," she whispered "What are you doing?"

He glanced at her. "Listening in..."

"But that's eavesdropping!"

"Only if you're caught." Said Fred, winking.

It was enough to quiet her. After all it _was_ her fate they were discussing, it was better to put manners aside. She decided to join in on their eavesdropping.

"…anyone else they wouldn't care. She's just one muggle. If anyone in _their_ society were to speak of wizards and magic, they'd think they were either lying or mad. One muggle wouldn't make much difference." Said someone in a raspy voice. After some thought, Rachel identified it as the man with the strange eye that once came to Privet Drive.

"But the fact that _Dumbledore_ is involved, means that they found an interest in her." Said Lupin.

"Exactly, I've talked to the minister in person and still he won't rest until _every_ muggle is accounted for, including Rachel. At the time being, he knows nothing of her whereabouts." Said Dumbledore. He continued, "And until I straighten this out, for her own interests and safety, I think it best if she were to stay at Hogwarts."

There were murmurs but none of protest. "Headmaster," said the man Harry had named Snape. "What exactly is to be accomplished by her-"

"Hold on," said the eye guy. There was a pause followed by an identified sound. A sizzling was all that could be heard then without warning; an earsplitting noise erupted from the extendable ears. The four of them let out shouts of surprise and wretched the string from their ears. "Bloody hell! What was that?!" Harry gasped.

"Mad-eye must've put an anti-listening charm on the door. Damn that dratted eye of his!" exclaimed George.

"Seems you're off the hook though," Fred grinned at Rachel.

A moment later the kitchen door opened and Fred and George scrambled up the steps with their extendable ears. "So tomorrow then?" asked an old woman. Dumbledore nodded then turned to the red-haired lady. "Thank you for the strudel, Molly. I haven't had one that good since…well since the last time you made them." He beamed. They lot of them said their goodbyes and then departed, leaving Harry and the others to ponder what they discovered.

"Umm, Rachel?" Harry said, stopping behind the twins who left to relay the message to Ron and Ginny.

"Hmm?"

"Can I- err... Can we talk? In private..?" he asked.

She raised her eyebrows and nodded vaguely, her mind occupied with recent events. They entered an empty room and Harry closed the door behind them. "Rachel, I'm- well I guess I should-err explain everything…" She remained silent. "Well, I'm a…a wizard." He said nervously, hoping she wouldn't freak out or faint. She didn't though her heart rate _did_ increase. "Those people…at Privet Drive the other night…they were wizards too; dark wizards. You see…" He then continued to tell her of everything he knew of the magical world and the prior events surrounding Voldemort. She sat there, silent and unblinking; by then time he had finished she was nearly at an overload of information; it was a wonder how it kept from spilling out her ears.

"So…I'm going to…a wizard school…with wizards and…magic." She said more to herself then Harry. It was hard to take in; Harry knew that, it had been difficult for him too. To be picked up and thrown into a whole different world. "Are you okay?" he asked after a few moments of silence. She torn her gaze from the cobweb she had been staring at and nodded. "Yeah…"

_Crack._

Rachel leapt nearly a foot in the air at the sudden arrival of George…or maybe it was Fred; she couldn't quite tell them part yet. "Sorry, forget you weren't used to apparating." He said. "Even _we_ aren't used to your incessant barging in." Harry said scowling. "Mum said dinner's ready. You guys missed lunch y' know? But if you aren't finished _talking_ then I can save you plates for later." He said a huge grin plastered on his face. Harry shot him a look and opened the door. "Do you mind?" he asked angrily. "Not at all." He smiled and disapparated. Harry sighed. "Sorry about him…" She smiled, the red leaving her cheeks. "Its ok, I've got friends like him back home." She said laughing slightly. 'Home...'

Again they pasted the wall of heads, "Harry, what exactly are those?" she asked curiously. "Oh," he smiled. "…house elves." She paused to examine a few, "What's this empty one for?"

"Kreacher." He said making a face.

"Huh?"

"Kreacher." He repeated pointing behind her.

She turned around to find another one of those horrid house things only its head was still attached to its body and was glaring at the two of them. She gasped and took a step back, a mix between fear and repulsion; it didn't seem like a very pleasant…creature (no pun intended). It gave her a cross-eyed glare which to any wizard wouldn't have been very intimidating seeing as they could easily kick it across the room in response. But Rachel, never having seeing a house elf -and a nasty one at that- before quickly hid behind Harry for protection. "Kreacher, get out of here! Leave us alone!" Harry said clenching his fists. Kreacher's eyes widened, "It's talking to Kreacher. Who does it think it is? Its filthy blood shouldn't be under mistress's roof." It grumbled shuffling by them. "Nasty filth bringing in muggle blood, nasty muggle's blood. If only mistress could see her home now…"

"Careful what you say around him." Harry said watching Kreacher disappear in a room. "What's his problem?" asked Rachel, a bit offended. "A lot of things," Harry said bitterly. "C'mon," he said motioning her towards the stairs. She followed, keeping an eye on the door Kreacher went into.

* * *

The kitchen was packed with people, a few that Rachel hadn't seen before. It was full of talk and mouth-watering aromas. "Oh, dears, good. Here, take your seats, I'll give you your plates." said the red haired woman standing. Harry and Rachel sat at the end of the table then a man at the other end spoke, "You must be Rachel then. Nice to meet you, the name's Arthur Weasley." He said nodding to her. She nodded back and smiled; he seemed nice. "I've always been fond of muggles; amazing how they get along without magic…Now there's something that's been bothering me for quite some time…" he glanced nervously at her. "What exactly is the function of a rubber duck?"

Harry looked away, having got hit with the same question as well; he hadn't quite no what to say as an answer. She stared at him unsure whether or not the question was rhetorical but the look in his eyes said he was completely serious. "Uhh…well it's a toy…kids play with them in bathtubs…they float and sometimes squeak…" she said, not entirely convinced that she hadn't been set up for a laugh. "Ahh…" his eyes lit up like everything made sense now and he nodded his head while mulling over the new acquired information. "A floatation device used for amusement…those muggles…" he said shaking his head and smiling. "What will they think up next?"

Mrs. Weasley placed two plates in front of the them. "Thank you." Said Rachel politely. "Oh, of course, dear." She said smiling. Harry looked across the table at the twins who were making kissing noises and a few obscene hand gestures; he glared at them and was glad Rachel wasn't looking up from her plate. Ron elbowed Fred in the ribs causing him and his twin to stop. Harry gave him a thankful look in which Ron returned with a questioning one. Harry furrowed his brows and mouthed 'what?' Ron raised his eyebrows at Harry and looked at Rachel then back to Harry. His eyes grew wide and he shook his head, his face growing hot. Ron shrugged and continued eating. Harry letting out a sigh felt someone's eyes on him; he searched the table. It was Ginny; she gave him a small smile then turned her attention back to her plate. He didn't think on it.

* * *

After dinner was finished and the plates were washing themselves, Mr. Weasley took Rachel aside. "Due to recent occurrences, you're going to be attending or rather residing at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, for your own safety of course. Even though you cannot perform magic, there are a few classes in which you can take part in; a schedule will be given to you at the start of term which is in a few weeks. Just to familiarize you with the castle, you will be leaving tomorrow. You can meet some of the staff, not all have returned from break yet, they'll be teaching you, well some of them will be." He said clasping his hands behind his back. "You'll find your belongings upstairs along with school robes, a few textbooks and a wand; don't think it'll do any more than emit a few sparks but you'll need one to blend in with the rest of the students. Dumbledore will fill you in on the nitty-gritty."

"You said I'd be taking some classes…but if I can't do magic then how…?" Rachel said, slowly putting the pieces together in her head.

"Well there are some classes which require magical _understanding_ rather than magic itself. All that is needed is the concept and you'll get the hang of it. Even muggles before you have achieved some knowledge of magic, sometimes without even knowing it! Take divination for example, many muggles refer to it as fortune telling, some claim to be psychics; normally found out to be frauds but a few muggles actually posses the gift of foresight…might have had an ancestor with magical abilities and in some cases they're just squibs un-introduced to the wizarding world."

"Squib?"

"A witch or wizard that's incapable to perform magic." He explained.

"Uh huh…so I'm going to learn how to be a fortune teller?" she asked tilting her head to the side.

"Erm…not exactly…You'll have to wait till tomorrow; Dumbledore can explain it better and answer all your questions. Now," he said taking a breath, "you should get to bed, we'll be leaving early."

She walked upstairs and heard a sharp noise, like someone snapping a twig. She looked around and saw nothing. She shrugged it off and opened the door to her room. Just as Mr. Weasley had said, a trunk filled with her belongings sat at the end of her bed. She kneeled before it and undid the clasps. They clicked open and she quietly lifted the lid. Over on one side were her clothes and things she had brought to the Dursleys house and on the other were a few pairs of black robes, a gray colored uniform, about ten books and resting on top was a wand. She recognized it as the weapons of choice used by the cloaked figures-death eaters as Harry told her-at Privet Drive. She hesitated before picking it up; upon closer examination she could make out tiny intricate vines carved into the reddish wood.

There was a quiet knock at the door. "Come in." she said. It opened and in came Harry and the Weasley siblings. "So what'd he say?" asked George plopping on the bed. The others arranged themselves around her. "Well?" prompted Fred.

"He just that that I was going to erm your school and that I'd attend some classes that don't require magic and pretend to be a witch..." she said recalling his words.

"That's it? We already knew that." said Ron crossing his arms.

"Well...he also said that I'd be leaving tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?!" Harry exclaimed getting to his feet, "But you just got here!"

"I know but…he said it was to familiarize me with the school so I wouldn't stick out to much by wandering around like an idiot."

"Its only two weeks till term; it isn't too long a wait…" said Ron trying to ease his friend's mind. Harry calmed a bit but still wasn't fond of the idea that Rachel would be thrown into the magical world without anyone she knew. Maybe he could get Dumbledore to let him go with her tomorrow…

"See you've got a wand; try any spells yet?" asked Fred eagerly.

"Err…no. Harry said you couldn't do magic outside of school."

"Yeah but what are they gonna do? Expel you? You're not even listed as a student or even a witch at that!" said George laughing.

"Doubt any spells you try will work anyway." Grinned Fred.

"Why don't you try a simple spell…_Wingardium Leviosa_. That's a first year one, here try it on your pillow." Said Ron moving a pillow to the center of the bed.

"I don't know…it's a bit heavy don't you think? Prof. Flitwick gave us feathers our first try…" Ginny said eyeing the pillow.

"Well I levitated that troll's club, didn't I? Besides…there's feathers _in_ the pillow." He said. "Now c'mon, give it a go." Ginny rolled her eyes and sighed.

Rachel cleared her throat, sat up straight and held her wand out, aimed at the pillow. Everyone watched with anticipation…

"What was it again?" she asked blushing.

The lot of them moaned. "_Wingardium Leviosa._" Harry said.

"Okay," she cleared her throat again and in a commanding voice, "_Wingardium Leviosa_!"

Nothing.

They waited for a delayed reaction but none came. She frowned as did they. "The wand movement; that's why I guess it didn't work!" Harry said enthusiastically. "Here," he demonstrated with his own wand, "Swish and flick."

She nodded and raised her wand, swished, flicked then repeated, "_Wingardium Leviosa!_"

Again nothing happened. They all sat back disappointed. "Oh well…" Ron said, "It was worth a shot anyway…"

"Here I'd better get to bed…we have to leave early." Said Rachel standing.

They said their goodnights and left, Harry being last. "Night, Rachel." He said in the doorway. "G' night." He paused as if going to say something else then quickly walked away.

She closed the door and crawled into bed. She sighed, looking at her injured hand. At this point in time she had come to the realization that this was all very real; she wasn't on some hidden camera show and the pain back in the alley dismissed the idea of this all being a nightmare. Well it _was _a nightmare but it wasn't the kind you wake up in bed from; it was the too horrible to _not _be true. At least Harry was here and wasn't alone in this, though…now that she knew he was a wizard, she felt as if he didn't know what that she was going through. He didn't after all, he may have been chucked into a world of magic but he had powers, he could do magic and fit in with everyone…she was an outcast in his world and didn't know if she could even return to hers. And even if she could then how could she possible go on pretending this magical world didn't exist? Well, they of course -and probably would- oblivi… oblivi-thingy her. She sighed again. Even without questions plaguing her mind she'd have found it hard to succumb to sleep.

'Stupid new bed…'

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AN: This isn't TOO much of a cliff hanger. I still need suggestions of the pairing, HPOC or SSOC?? There ARE a few times I've drifted from the book and I'm well aware of that, in case you've noticed, if you haven't then…never mind! PLESE REVIEW!

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Please read my friends fanfic it's really good! It's called: _Therein lies the rub_ by Peril of Hope! I 3 u Evey!!!! 


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer**: Any and everything found in or in relation to the Harry Potter books written by JKR/ movies produced by WB has nothing to do with me, aside from making up a good deal of my life and inspiring this fanfic. I in no way take any credit for them nor make any profit by writing this fanfic, so please, don't sue.

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Chapter Seven 

"Rachel, Rachel you have to get up." Said Ginny, gently shaking her from slumber. Rachel looked at her through half closed eyes, "Mm?"

"You've overslept; the Order will be here in twenty minutes to get you." She said urgently.

"What?!" Rachel said sitting up in bed, all traces of weariness gone.

"You have to get ready, quick. Mums got breakfast made so just gather your things and come down." Ginny said leaving.

'Just great…' thought Rachel opening her trunk. She dug through and pulled out a pair of jeans and a sweater, she frowned. She'll stick out like a sore thumb, everyone else wears robes… She sighed. It'll have to do. She pulled on her clothes and slipped her worn sneakers on. Upon looking in the mirror for the first time in days, she realized how stressed out she looked. There were dark circles under her eyes, not very noticeable but dark enough for her to see, her hair was sticking up at odd angles and her expression seemed the same as the one she had worn when she pulled an all-nighter to finish a history project that was due the next day. She snatched up her hairbrush and fought her hair into a messy bun.

She grabbed the handle of the trunk after closing it and attempted to pick it up. After about a minute, she realized dragging it was her only option. Lugging it into and down the hall, she paused at the top of the stairs to catch her breath.

"Need some help?" asked Harry causing her to jump.

"Yeah, thanks." She said recovering from surprise.

He levitated the trunk and had it hover behind them as they descended the stairs. "I'll just leave it here." he said lowering it near the door. They walked into the kitchen to find Ginny, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley and Sirius seated at the table. "Oh. Good, dears, here's breakfast." Mrs. Weasley said waving her wand making two plates filled with food appear on the table. "Quickly now,"

Rachel woofed down her bacon and eggs as fast as she could without choking. Once she was done she sat nervously, watching everyone around her. Harry was pushing his food around on his plate, Ginny and Sirius were on their second helpings, and Mr. Weasley was reading a newspaper entitled The Daily Prophet; Mrs. Weasley had left to wake up the stragglers. She looked back to her empty plate then raised her head again, sighing. She drummed her fingers on the table a few times and stopped. 'Twenty minutes has never been this long...' she thought to herself and began tapping her foot impatiently.

"Sirius, here's something you might be interested in. Seems someone spotted you up in the Alps, competing in a snow angel contest." Smiled Mr. Weasley, showing him the article.

Sirius chuckled, "Guess I should be more careful next time."

At last a pop sounded in the other room but as soon as it did Rachel wished it hadn't. She shared a look with Harry; this was the last time they'd see each other for two weeks. "Rachel?" called Mrs. Weasley from the living room. She slowly stood along with Harry.

"Bye, Rachel." said Ginny with a small smile.

"Bye."

"See you during the holidays." Said Mr. Weasley setting down his newspaper.

"It was nice meeting you, Rachel." Said Sirius, smiling. She waved and followed Harry out of the kitchen.

Standing in the middle of the room was Mr. Lupin and a strict looking woman. "Rachel," said Lupin nodding his head. "This is Prof. McGonagall; she teaches Transfiguration at Hogwarts and is a member of the Order of the Phoenix."

"Nice to meet you." Rachel said with a polite smile.

"I assume you know why we're here, Miss Watts?" she asked.

"To take me to err," she searched for its name, "...to a magic school."

"About that professor," Harry said slowly hoping he caught her in a good mood, "Do you think that maybe I'd be able to go too? To show Rachel around and-"

"It's out of the question, Potter."

"But-"

"No buts Potter. We're on a strict schedule; you'll have to take this up with Dumbledore."

Harry sighed defeated and gave Rachel an 'it-was-worth-a-try' look. He probably would've had more luck with Dumbledore... She forced a smile, "In two weeks then," she said. He nodded, "In two weeks…"

"Alright now, Miss Watts, take a firm grip on my arm and we'll apparate." said McGonagall holding out an arm which Rachel awkwardly took. Lupin walked over to her trunk, and heaved it off the ground. "All set?" he asked. Rachel nodded and quickly looked to Harry who until locking eyes with her had a glum look on his face. He immediately pulled on an encouraging smile. And then the room went blank; a pull behind her naval caused her to close her eyes. Curiosity forced them open again and she wished she hadn't. What with the whirling landscapes and feeling of falling, she felt as if she'd bring up her breakfast. She also found it difficult to breath; the air pressed against her on all sides giving the feeling of being under water. And what came after that was panic. How long does this take? What if she ran out of air? What if-? And just as her anxiety reached its peak, she found herself on the ground outside of large metal gates some ways in front of a large castle; on either side of the entrance were stautes of winged boars.

Rachel slowly got to her feet; Lupin and McGonagall at her side. "Right this way," said McGonagall leading the way to a lone carriage. Lupin loaded her trunk and turned to her. "It was a pleasure seeing you again but now that I've seen you safely here, I afraid I must leave. Very busy day, today," he said shaking her hand. "Minerva," he gave the aged witch a knowing look then apparated away.

The two got into the carriage and it began moving. She heard the clop of hooves but there was nothing to suggest horses were pulling it, in fact, as she saw it the carriage was being pulled by itself. She was puzzled but didn't bother asking. It came to a halt in front of the towering castle. The way Harry had spoke of it, she had pictured it to be magnificent structure like something found in a children's fairy tale book or a dragon slaying knight's castle. But as she stood before it, she couldn't help but think it was capable of collapsing at any given moment. It looked that perhaps _before_, maybe two, three hundred years earlier it may have stood proud and majestic but the sign reading: DANGER, DO NOT ENTER, UNSAFE told her that those days were long past over.

McGonagall magicked the trunk at her side. She opened the large oak doors and the sight that met Rachel's eyes would be one that she'd never forget.

"Welcome to Hogwarts, Miss Watts."

The interior was nothing like the moldering ruins she had just seen; it was as if she had stepped into a completely different castle. Its stone walls and high ceilings gave it a majestic air, its countless windows shimmered as sunlight shown through them and every corridor was lined with portraits that moved and talked. Regrettably, Rachel didn't get the chance to closer examine them due to McGonagall's quick pace. The corridors flew by as she nearly ran to keep up with the professor. She'd have to sightsee on her own time.

Finally, after a few minutes of half-running/half-jogging, they stopped in front of a large statue of a gargoyle. McGonagall held up her hands and with a flicking motion, said, "Ice Mice." Then with a scrapping sound, the stone gargoyle sprang to life and moved aside, revealing a spiral staircase.

"The headmaster will see you now." Said the witch in an important tone.

Rachel hesitated for a moment, eyeing the staircase suspiciously. McGonagall shooed her along, growing impatient, and Rachel cautiously ascended the stairs. Once she climbed the last step, she came upon a small door. She stood awkwardly outside it, debating whether to knock or continue standing there like a timid child. Then just as she raised her hand, a voice from within rang out, "Come in, Miss Watts." Rachel took a deep breath and pushed open the door. It led to a circular room decorated with silver instruments and all sorts of little doodads. On each wall were many paintings of sleeping witches and wizards, all very old in age. The room had a few windows; one large one in the back displayed a tall range of mountains and to the side of that, a large field filled with odd rings. Next to the desk was a beautiful bird with reddish-gold feathers resting on a perch; it cooed to her in greeting.

"It seems Fawkes, here, has taken a liking to you." Smiled a man seated at the desk. He had long silvery hair and a beard to match, he wore long violet robes and his sparkling blue eyes peeked out from behind his half-moon spectacles. He stood, "Although you must know who I am by now, allow me to introduce myself properly. My name is Albus Dumbledore, headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Lemon drop?" he said offering a bowl of yellow candies. "Oh, no thank you." He shrugged and popped one into his mouth.

"Now, let's get down to business, shall we?" He said cheerfully stepping out from behind his desk. He walked over to a shelf and took down a tattered hat. "Well, first things first, lets get you sorted."

He conjured a chair in front of his desk with a wave of his hand. She took a seat and he plopped the hat on her head. She waited wondering what this was all about. She remained still but the hat didn't, it wriggled around as if trying to fit just right instead of falling over her eyes. "Hmm… well this something new…"said a croaky voice in her head. "I've never before been asked to sort a muggle…but I'm able nonetheless; students here are sorted by character not magical abilities."

Rachel remained silent. The hat is talking. She's going insane, this confirms it.

"You have your wits about you…and a strong sense of loyalty…hmm...better be… RAVENCLAW!" the hat mentally yelled at her causing her to hold her head and fall out of her chair.

"Excellent!" said Dumbledore clapping his hands together, not noticing her fall. She shakily stood up and handed the hat to him. "Now, are you aware of the classes you'll take?"

"Divination?"

He nodded, "Along with others. You'll receive a schedule sometime during the next few days. But for right now, I'll leave you to get situated; the Ravenclaw common room is located in the west tower- the password that'll grant you access is Gillyweed. Sir Cadogan, here, has volunteered to escort you to your dorms." He said gesturing to a painting. Inside was a once sleeping old wizard and a knight clad in armor. The knight bowed, "Greetings my lady, shall we be on our way?"

She looked to Dumbledore; he nodded smiling. "Your things will be in the girl's dorm, best enjoy it while it's still quiet. Oh, and dinner is at seven, I'll have someone fetch you."

"Thank you," Rachel said, not knowing what to say. She looked to the knight, "Let's go, then."

Sir Cadogan wasn't any better than McGonagall. He kept dashing from portrait to portrait, sometimes ending up corridors ahead of her. She heard the other portraits whisper and gossip, sometimes pointing to her and the occasional outburst from the residents of whatever painting the knight would barge into. At last, after losing and finding her guide, the knight forgetting the way, getting directions from a poltergeist, and getting _correct _directions from another portrait, they arrived at a door; next to it was a suit of armor holding a rather intimidating pike. "Well there you are, my lady. Our quest has come to an end. You may open the door now." said Sir Cadogan from across the hall's portrait of mountainside valley. She eyed the door, then the suit of armor, then the door again.

"Are you sure?" she asked.

"Am I sure? Well of course I'm sure! I've lead you here, haven't I?" he questioned.

"Ok, ok, I was just making sure…" She stepped forward and suddenly found herself eye level with a spear. She froze and, barely breathing, backed away. "I thought you said it's safe to open it!"

"Well _after_ you give the password, of course! Everyone knows that!"

She sighed angrily. She moved closer and then in what she hoped to be brave voice said, "Gillyweed."

The suit of armor returned to its normal stance, giving her entrance. With a glance back at Sir Cadogan, she reached for the door, letting out her breath when the suit didn't move. She didn't bother saying goodbye seeing as he nearly got her killed and dragged her across the school at least three times. After the door was firmly shut behind her, she was able to look at the common room; deep blue armchairs were scattered about with a few wooden tables at their sides, there was a fireplace extinguished of flames, a bookshelf that took up about a wall, and opposite the door was long stain-glass windows, on either side were stairs leading to the dorms.

Her things were already unpacked; clothes in her wardrobe, books neatly stacked on her bedside table and her wand was resting on her four-poster bed. It seemed she had the room to herself seeing as no other beds were present. She collapsed on her bed and closed her eyes, letting the colored sunlight stream through the stained window and bathe her in warmth. So much had happened to her, as if going out of the country wasn't enough. Listening to the far off singing of birds, she slowly drifted off…Then at some point, the sun didn't shine as brightly and the birds' twittering was replaced with the chirping of crickets. She slowly sat up and rubbed her eyes; she could've sworn it hadn't been that long. 'Oh no…' she thought. She looked at her watch; the little green numbers were all scrambled into some alien language. 'What if I'm-' then a grandfather clock rang out from the common room- she froze and counted off the chimes. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven -she held her breath- eight- "Damn!" Then the clock ticked off nine and ten just to further mock her. She hit her bed in frustration and headed out of her dorm.

On a long table, there was a tray of food and a letter attached; it was addressed to her- who else? She picked it up and read the long spidery script.

_Miss Watts,_

_Be more careful in choosing when to acquire your beauty sleep, next time I won't be as gracious as to get you a plate._

_Prof. Severus Snape_

Talk about bad impressions, first she bites the poor man when he's trying to help her and now she leaves him waiting for god knows how long! He probably hates her by now. She sighed and put the letter aside. She dismally looked at her still hot plate, even though her appetite was gone, her stomach protested the denial of food; she hadn't eaten since breakfast. After she finished eating, she tucked the letter in her pants pocket and paced the room, unable to sleep.

She walked along the bookshelf, reading the titles. There were none she recognized. Choosing one at random, she went and sat by the long windows; they overlooked a huge lake and some cliffs. She spent more time staring out at the immense grounds than reading; she had only gotten up to the second page by the time her eyes grew too heavy to keep open…

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**AN**: So, how'd you like it?? Let me know! Review!!! 


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: Alas, despite how many times I wish upon a star, throw pennies into a well and blow out birthday candles, it seems that I will never see a day in which I own anything related to Harry Potter.

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Chapter Eight

An abrupt series of sharp taps awoke Rachel the next morning. She cracked her eyes slightly and lifted her head. She was at the windowsill, bent over at an awkward position. It took a moment for her vision to adjust to the glare of the sun and for the recollection of last night's happenings to set in her mind. She looked down to see a book abandoned at her feet. She pushed herself into a sitting position and stretched, hoping to relieve the stiffness in her neck and back; last time she'll sleep there. More taps sounded; angrier this time. "Coming," Rachel called getting to her feet.

She ambled over to the door, pausing to look in the mirror; her hair was a mess. She pulled open the door and to confusion, no one was there. She leaned out and looked down the corridors; nothing. Rachel was about to ask the suit of armor if anyone was there-even though she hadn't a clue if it could talk-but more taps sounded behind her. She spun around to see a white owl perched outside of the window. Her eyes grew wide; it screeched for her to let it in. She quietly closed the door and slowly walked over to the window. It stared back at her and tapped the glass again. Still bewildered, she managed to open the window and the owl flapped in. It landed on the back of one of the armchairs and looked at her questioningly. Rachel, never having seen an owl this close before, hesitated. The owl held out its leg which had a letter attached to it and clicked its beak. Finally after a few minutes of trying not to spook the creature, who happened to be nowhere near scared and more close to annoyed, she managed to take the letter from it. On the front was scribbled her name. "Cool…like carrier pigeons…" she said to herself. The owl ruffled its feathers and clicked its beak indignantly as if insulted.

Rachel opened the envelope and pulled out the letter. It read in rather slapdash cursive:

_Rachel,_

_How are you? I hope Hedwig didn't scare you, she's really nice so don't worry about her pecking your eyes out._- That made Rachel feel better-_ I hear you were sorted in Ravenclaw, I hoped you'd be in Gryffindor like me but I guess we'll have some classes together. By the way, did you get your schedule yet? Mine arrived today. I'm staying with my friends, Ron and Hermione, they're in Gryffindor too. I'm sure you'll like them. I can't wait till the first, you're going to love school here, I just know it. Well see you then._

_Harry_

_PS: Write back!_

She smiled to herself and was about to put it in her pocket when she realized it was already occupied. She removed the letter from Professor Snape and frowned; she had almost forgotten. She sighed and headed into her room, she'll make sure not to be late for breakfast too. She quickly tucked the letters in a textbook and headed into the bathroom. When she was done her shower, she got dressed. This time, since she'd probably be meeting some of her teachers, she wore a nice skirt and blouse. She still seemed out of place but at least she looked more presentable. She grabbed her hairbrush off her dresser and untangled her hair. Due to lack of outlets, her hair dryer was virtually useless; she had no choice but to let it air dry instead. She anxiously paced her room pausing to look in the mirror every five seconds.

"Unless you're a metamorphamagus, I doubt you'll look any different, dear." Said a female voice. Rachel jumped and looked around the room. "Hello? Who's there?" she called in no particular direction.

"In front of you, dear,"

She blinked; the mirror? Her reflection smiled and waved then resumed mimicking her. 'The mirror…is talking…' Just as she mentally made a reference to _Beauty and the Beast_, a knock sounded at the door. Her heart quickened and she ran to get the door. She paused and smoothed out her skirt before opening the door. But standing before her was not Professor Snape as she had expected, but someone else. He was very short, barely reached up to her knees, and resembled – to her amusement – a garden gnome people put on their lawns. "Well, it's nice to meet you, Miss Watts." He squeaked in a jolly voice.

"Hi…" she said lamely.

"I'm Professor Flitwick. I'm the head of house for Ravenclaw and I also teach Charms at Hogwarts; too bad I won't be having you in my classes but you're welcome to drop by anytime." He smiled.

"Thank you." She said uncertainly 'Does he know I'm a muggle…?'

"Now Professor Snape is away on other business so I'm to escort you to the Great Hall. Come now," he gestured, "breakfast is about to be served."

Rachel followed him closely; thankfully she didn't have to run to catch up with him. They arrived at a set of great oak doors, they opened on their own. Inside, was a large room with a high ceiling, candles hovered in mid-air providing them with a soft glow; in the center of the room was one long table at which was seated a few teachers, four other tables were upturned against the walls. McGonagall was the only teacher she recognized. Professor Flitwick led her to the table and seated her next to a woman garbed in a spangled shawl and had on many beads and rings and had huge glasses that made her eyes look three times their normal size. The gypsy-like woman was talking to McGonagall who looked like she was about to implode. She caught bits of their conversation, something about McGonagall's energy waves being out of pattern or something. Rachel quietly ate her meal while trying not to attract any attention. At some point McGonagall excused herself and hurriedly left through a side door leaving the woman in mid-sentence. She suddenly turned to Rachel,

"Oh, dear child!" she exclaimed causing Rachel to nearly choke on her mouthful of pancakes, "I did not sense your aura, did you just arrive?"

Rachel stared, "I've been here for about ten minutes…"

The woman seemed taken back and stared dumbfounded. "Oh…well of course you were. Now that I think of it, I _did_ sense a faint energy, you wouldn't happen to be muggle born would you?" Her big insect-like eyes bore into hers.

"Err…" Rachel wasn't quite sure whether to tell the truth or not, she didn't want to get anyone in trouble, not to mention the fact that she'd expose herself!

A commotion overhead saved her from responding. A volley of owls flew in through the rafters and swooped down upon them. Hedwig alone was enough to frighten her and Harry's previous comment of 'pecking her eyes out' came to mind, forcing her under the table with a scream. The fluttering of wings decreased and there was a thud on the table above her head. She slowly crawled out from under it, her cheeks a bright red. Everyone in the room couldn't help but stare at her.

"I…dropped my fork!" she smiled sheepishly and held up a fork as evidence.

They resumed what they had been doing before Rachel's outburst. Sitting in the syrup of her plate was an envelope addressed to her in curly green ink. She wiped it off a bit and hurried out of the Great Hall avoiding the questioning eyes on her back. For some reason the relief that Professor Snape hadn't been there to witness her stupidity came to mind but she shook it off. She slowed once she was a distance from the hall and stopped to read the letter. It was her class schedule. She looked over the list of classes she'd take; Ancient Runes, Astronomy, Care of Magical Creatures, Divination, Herbology, History of Magic, Muggle Studies and last but not least Potions. 'This year's going to be interesting…'

She looked up from the letter and came to realize she didn't know how to get back to her dorm. She bit her lip and tried backtracking but to no avail; every corridor looked the same to her. After some minutes of aimless wandering, she collapsed on a staircase. This was pointless, she was just getting even more lost and the fact that most of the paintings on this wing were of animals or landscapes didn't help either; if they were people she could at least ask for help. She sighed and leaned on the rail. Then without warning, the entire staircase started to rumble and move. She jumped up but its movement threw her to her knees. It stopped just seconds after it had moved to another landing. She didn't move for fear that it'd shift again. At a stalemate of wanting to get off the steps and not wanting to risk being lurched off them, she remained seated and clung to the railing. A low meow echoed off the empty walls. She looked up. At the top of the stairs as a mangy looking cat; it pranced down to her and mewed again. It had red eyes which gave it a spooky appearance and its fur looked ragged and kind of dusty. She hesitantly pet the cat after it began rubbing up on her leg. She smiled, "What's your name, kitty?"

"Mrs. Norris, don't get too ahead of… Who are you?" said a raspy voice.

Rachel looked up; a straggly looking man stood at the top of the stairs. She stood as he limped down them, "I'm Rachel Watts; I'm a new student…" The cat ran to him. He looked at her warily, "Term hasn't started yet… Why are you here?"

"I'm supposed to be getting to know the castle." She ducked her head. "I couldn't find my way back…Could you point me in the direction of the Ravenclaw common room, Mr….?"

"Filch…I'm the caretaker here." he growled picking up the cat.

"Nice to meet you." She said holding out her hand. He looked at it suspiciously and turned to leave. "This way…"

She blinked several times before actually following him. He had a bad limp so she could easily keep up with him. She tried making a mental map of the area they covered. It seemed like he was taking the longest route possible. 'Left, left, right, portrait of a giraffe, right, stairs, right, boar statue, left or maybe a right, was this a left? Wait …damn. So much for that; hopefully they have maps…' she thought desperately. Once her surroundings became vaguely familiar, she realized they were almost there. "I can find my way from here, thank you." He nodded with a grunt and limped off, his cat trailing behind him. She didn't want to retreat to her room just yet; she was supposed to be getting to know the castle. On the other hand she didn't want to get lost again…

Going against her better judgment, she ventured of again this time making note of every turn she took. It wasn't long before she came to the entrance hall, she pushed open the large doors and a wave of breeze rushed past her. It was still early maybe around noon or a little later. With a glance back, she stepped out onto the rocky path the lead to the gates. She didn't go all the way down, at one point just off to the side something caught her eye. It was a horse; it was pitch black and even from a distance she could tell it had large yellow eyes. It stared at her, unmoving. She stared back at it entranced.

The black horse stamped its hoof and turned around. It looked over its shoulder at her and then trotted off into the forest. She made to follow it but halted at a commanding voice, "Stop, yer not allowed in there!" Rachel stopped immediately; a man of large build came over to her. He towered over her; his face was mostly hidden by a bushy beard which two small black eyes shined through. "It's dangerous goin' in the fores' alone. Students aren't permitted yer know." She gaped at him, "I-I didn't know sir, I'm s-sorry. No one t-told me."

He smiled down at her, "Not ter worry, yer not in trouble. Dumbledore told me yer'd be staying 'ere." He held out his hand, "An' ferget the 'sir' business, names Rubeus Hagrid." Her small hand disappeared in his massive one but his grip was surprisingly gentle. "I'm Rachel." She said slowly, losing her fear of him. "Well I know who yer are, Harry told me about yer. Nice lad he is… Yer gonna like it 'ere I'm sure." He beamed. "Well I was jus' makin' a pot o' tea, yer welcome ter join me if ya like."

"That'd be nice, thanks." She smiled and followed him to a small cabin by the side of the woods. As he unlocked the door she looked back to try and find where the horse went but it was nowhere in sight. Thunderous barks boomed from inside the cabin. "Don' min' him, he's jus' shy aroun' strangers." Said Hagrid opening the door. 'I wouldn't call it shy exactly…' she thought. He held back a large dog that now had given up barking and was intent on glomping Rachel. "C'mon now Fang, easy boy. Don' worry he's jus' happy to meet yer tha's all." He said smiling. "'Ere take a seat," He gestured to an oversized couch. She sat down and the dog, Fang as Hagrid had called it, plopped its large head on her lap. She hesitantly pet its head while Hagrid busied himself in the corner.

The teapot whistled and he took it off the fire. He set it and two small pink cups on the table. "I made some treacle fudge earlier, would yer like to test the batch out?"

"Sure," she said trying to push Fang off her lap; the pool of his slobber had been collecting on her skirt. 'The one day I dress up too…' she thought dryly. Hagrid poured them tea then went to fetch the fudge he made. She carefully sipped her tea as he came back with a tray. He set it down on the table and took a seat across from her and waited anxiously for her to try one of his treats. She awkward took a piece of fudge and bit into it; it was a bit chewy but overall tasted good. "It's really good!" she over exaggerated. He beamed at her proudly.

They then delved into a deep conversation, mostly about Harry and the two friends he mentioned in his letter. Only after the small coo-coo clock twittered several times did she realize how late it had been. "I have to go!" she said standing up. "Alrigh', bout time to get back to the castle anyways." he said getting to his feet as well. "It was nice meetin' yer Rachel. Drop by whenever yer like." He opened the door for her. "Nice meeting you too Hagrid! Thanks for the tea! " she called as she dashed out of the cabin.

She raced across the grounds; the castle's cool shadow fell over her but the soft glow of the moon guided her. The heavy front doors swung open slowly as Rachel pushed on them; they closed automatically after she stepped inside. At first, she thought to make her way to the Great Hall, but then a sudden dread crossed her mind. 'What if he's back?' She looked over her shoulder in the direction of her room. 'What if he's waiting for me again?' Fear sweeping through her, she hurried to the west tower as best as she could, only getting lost once because of a statue, which had been her 'turn left' signal, decided to take an evening stroll.

As she rounded the corner to her dorms, she caught a glimpse of a dark figure at her door; immediately she drew back around the corner, silently cursing to herself. She heard him rap angrily at her door and mutter something under his breath. She didn't move. Footsteps echoed off the walls; she wanted to run but kept herself from doing so. 'It'll just make things worse.' She thought to herself. But he never rounded the corner to scold her and his footsteps faded. She was somewhat disappointed as she peeked around the corner to see the corridor empty. Professor Snape had slipped away but not without first sticking a note to her door. Rachel sighed, 'Strike three.'

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AN: Sorry it took so long! I've had a lot of other fanfics running through my head and I had to stop and get them on paper….or computer. Anywho! Hope you liked it! Took a hell of a long time to get semi-right (still not happy with it though…) Please review! - It motivates me to update faster

glomp- for those who dont know(Evey) its a cross between a hug and tackle usually from a running start. If you still dont understand, then urban dictionary it lol the new google it


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer:** I am patiently awaiting the brilliant and all-powerful JKR's approval of claiming ownership of her works, until then I own nothing.

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Chapter Nine

The Death Eater meeting had left Severus exhausted and rather irritable, of course he didn't show any sign of this in Dumbledore's presence. The wizard would have undoubtedly excused him from any Hogwarts duties for however long it'd take him to recover, both mentally and physically, but he didn't want that. He didn't want anyone to worry about him, he didn't have any use for sympathy…nor did he deserve it.

Nothing of any real importance came of the meeting; it consisted of the others complaining about knowing virtually nothing of the Dark Lord's plan and the few that _did_ know, smirking to each other feeling important. It went nowhere and ended with the lot going on a killing spree that Severus so luckily was able to finagle himself out of.

He stopped at the Ravenclaw dorm and knocked. No response came. He pursed his lips and knocked again, angrier this time. He muttered something rather unpleasant under his breath then took out a piece of parchment and scribbled a quick note that conveyed his… displeasure. He paused, feeling eyes on him and spun around. He was alone, so it seemed. Paranoia still hot in his veins, he stuck the note to the door and quickly departed the corridor, glancing back twice.

His first instinct was to retreat to the sanctity of the dungeons but after rethinking it, he decided it was best to just stick out another meal with the staff. He repressed a sigh. At his usual swift pace, he proceeded to the Great Hall. Most of the faculty was there save for Dumbledore, he had devoted most of his time to the war; he was really starting to worry about that man. Severus took his place next to McGonagall, one of the few people in the school that he could tolerate. He looked around with a sneer plastered on his face, a sure fire way to avoid conversation. The muggle wasn't there he noticed, he smirked slightly; perhaps she'll learn to be on time. Just then, the doors opened and in wandered the said muggle. She wore a nervous expression and slowly ambled up to the table wringing her hands. It was at that moment that Severus noticed there was only one extra chair…right next to his. He mentally cursed and looked down at his plate hoping he could quickly finish and excuse himself but he found it nearly full. If it wasn't for the growling in his stomach he would've left it as is.

Rachel slowly approached already having realized where her only option for sitting was. She awkwardly sat down, glancing at him for approval; he said nothing nor did he make any sign of discomfort. She kept looking at him out of the corner of her eye; he noticed and was close to telling her off. 'Should I apologize?' she thought to herself, 'Well, yeah but he doesn't seem to want to talk… maybe I should just not say anything…' She bit her lip. 'But…'

"Sorry…" she said quickly before she could talk herself out of speaking. She waited for a reply. He didn't say anything; he didn't even acknowledge that he heard her.

She looked down at her plate; her cheeks a pinkish color. "I-I said-"

"I heard you." He said not looking at her.

She gulped feeling even more stupid, "Oh…okay."

And that was it; nothing more was said. 'Stupid, stupid, stupid!' Rachel mentally yelled at herself, 'You shouldn't have said anything! Now he thinks you're an idiot!' Her appetite was long past gone and an awful knot formed in her stomach. She glanced at him as he sighed. He made a move to say something but thought better of it rising from his seat. She looked up at him hoping he'd tell her that he didn't think she was stupid or that he didn't mean to be short with her or even to just smile to let her know everything's alright, but the chances of any of those situations happening were slim to none, in fact she had a better chance of winning the lottery, of which she had a better chance of being abducted by aliens. He swiftly and silently left the Great Hall without the slightest acknowledgement towards her.

He swept through the halls, black robes swishing behind him in a menacing manner; his brooding demeanor enough to scare the pants off any first year- even some seventh years. He collapsed nearly the moment the door to his rooms closed. Fatigue rushed through him, sending him crumpling onto his bed. Not bothering to remove his outer robes, he closed his weary eyes succumbing to the beginnings of sleep…

The fireplace in the other room self-ignited; he groaned. "Severus?" called the voice of the headmaster snapping him back to the realm of chipper wide-awake beings. Severus, of course, wanted nothing more than to ignore him and hope he'd leave him to sleep but the remnants of his conscience that so plagued him these days forced his eyes open and had him begrudgingly amble out into the other room. There in the flames of his hearth was the face of Professor Dumbledore, "Hello, Severus." He said softly, a slight melancholy about him.

"Headmaster, to what do I owe this visit?" he asked ignoring the slight throbbing in his head which would-with his luck- escalate to a head-splitting migraine.

"Bad news, I'm afraid." Dumbledore said frowning, "The Ministry intercepted a rather important owl; it was carrying Order information,"

Severus remained silent but a look of worry crossed his face. "From what Kingsley and other aurors have reported, the Ministry interpreted it to be plans of a death eater meeting. Obviously, this poses a problem. Unless a death eater meeting takes place at the said location, the Ministry wont rest; intercepting more owls, nosing around in other's business and more importantly, interfering with our future attempts to stop Voldemort."

"What are you trying to say…?" Severus asked not liking the idea that formed in his mind.

Dumbledore looked thoughtful for a bit. "The Ministry wants death eaters," He said slowly, his eyes glittering mischievously from the embers of the fire, "so we'll give them death eaters."

Severus furrowed his brow and spoke, "You don't mean for me to-?"

"No, no, that'd put you in risk. What I mean to do is have a few Order members masquerade as death eaters just to satisfy the Ministry. As soon as aurors arrive, they'll apparate to safety." Said Dumbledore in a reassuring voice, "I hate to ask you this on such short notice, you're doing so much for the Order already…"

He raised his hands stopping Dumbledore mid-sentence, "There's no need to ask, Headmaster."

"Thank you, Severus." The headmaster said solemnly. "I'll see you in the morning." He asked more than stated. Severus nodded his head slightly. "Pleasant dreams, then." He said then disappeared into the fire.

Severus sat down in an armchair near the warmth of the fire. He closed his eyes, not thinking, hoping that the steady throbbing in his head would subside. In time the pain dulled and he slowly drifted off, temporarily forgetting his troubles that would inevitably return the moment his eyes opened…

* * *

Rachel left shortly after Snape; she didn't bother attempting to finish her meal. Not quite ready to retreat back to her room, she wandered the halls looking for anything interesting; trying to take her mind off the discreet humiliation she just went through. Nothing particularly caught her eye; the castle was very dimly lit at night without the aid of sunlight. After a few moments she realized she'd better just get to bed; although the portraits snored in their frames and the staff was nowhere to be found, something told her not_ all_ of the castle slept at night. And whatever _it_ was that was awake, she didn't want to meet it.

Through the darkened corridors, she quietly walked in what she hoped was the right direction. Panic began to arise in her chest when she didn't see any of the landmarks she used to guide her; the dark made every twist and turn of the halls alien to her. Then the chilling feeling of being watched came about. She began walking faster until she scared herself into running. In fact she didn't stop running until she stepped on something that let out a yelp of pain. She screamed too and fell backward. Two glowing eyes glared up at her; the creature emitted a low growl of annoyance. Rachel, catching her breath, tried to make out the creature in the dark.

"Mrs. Norris?" she asked.

She received a mew in reply and sighed in relief. She felt the cat's fur brush against her leg. Still thankful that she hadn't stumbled onto a little monster; she scratched Mrs. Norris's head and stood. She looked around expecting Mr. Filch to be somewhere close but she didn't see him, well she could barely see a foot in front of her but she was pretty sure he wasn't anywhere nearby.

She waited for a bit with Mrs. Norris but she soon realized that he wasn't coming. Standing, she thought of what to do. Somewhere she once heard that by staying in one place you're easier to find, whether or not she wanted to be found she wasn't sure of. She, of course, wanted to just get to bed and put the day behind her and the chances of a teacher coming along were pretty good but it was the slight chance of a _real _monster or something of that sort running into her that made her keep moving. "Come on Mrs. Norris, let's get out of here…" she said to the cat which was purring happily, completely un-phased by the darkness.

The pair walked in silence down the corridors, not knowing quite where they were going, at least Rachel didn't know. Mrs. Norris took the lead trotting ahead of her. Not wanting her only companion leaving her, she hurried after in the darkness doing her best not to step on her tail. Rachel had no clue where the cat was taking her but hoped it was in the direction of her dorm. "Slow down!" she said in a hushed voice but the cat actually picked up speed.

"Mrs. Norris!" she exclaimed as they quickly descended the stairs. At the landing, she paused looking for the cat. The soft scrapping of claws on stone could be heard as it faded into the distance…

"Mrs. Norris?"

There was no reply, no meow, no fur rubbing on her ankles, or the sound of paws on the floor. "Mrs. Norris?" she called again. She slowly crouched down hoping to find the cat near her; no luck. Now she was alone, in the dark, in the middle of a magical castle… 'Ohh crap.' She stood up quickly, panic once again setting in. Holding her hands in front of her, she slowly made her way to a wall. From that position she merely slid her hands along the wall letting it guide her; it wasn't long till the cold stone turned to wood. She came upon a door, to where she didn't know, she moved her fingers down until she found a doorknob. Hesitantly, she turned it, opening it all the way. Inside was somewhat brighter, though bright isn't exactly a word to describe it, dimly lit was more like it. Nearly missing the first step, she preceded cautiously.

Low flame torches lined the stone walls; at least she could make out the corridors which were empty. It was safe to say she was better off there then up in the pitch black. She kept walking, somewhat more confident than before. There were many twists and turns where she had been faced with choosing a path; after about a minute went by she was certain she was lost…again but it didn't bother her that much, it was better than being lost _and_ blind. She had past a lot of doors, all locked, curious enough she hadn't seen one window. 'Probably underground…oh god that's means I'm in the…' Just then a scratching noise grabbed her attention. "Mrs. Norris?" she called out turning the corner. Nothing. "Mrs. Norris?" Then suddenly a wave of cold air crossed her making the hairs on her neck stand up.

She gasped audibly and spun around. Before her stood a shimmering man in a frilly blood-stained outfit; he wore a fearsome expression. What scared her most was the fact that he was hovering a few inches off the ground and she could see straight through him.

And what followed next was precisely the reason why the sorting hat didn't even consider putting her in Gryffindor.

"Ahh!"

Her scream echoed through the vacant halls sending each torch within proximity flickering. Then before her brain could even process the command, she ran; she ran as if the devil was at her heels- and for all she knew he very well could have been. The specter gave chase, cackling madly and swinging a ghostly rapier. She kept running not wanting to know whether or not the sword could cut her. It wasn't until her curiosity got the best of her did she look back to see the phantom hot on her trail; she screamed again.

Then without warning the solidity of the stone wall came crashing into her, or rather she crashed into it. Just before the pain set in, she felt a sudden chill sweep through her as the ghost flew straight through her and the wall which had halted her escape. "Ow…." She said once she was sure the ghost wasn't going to come back through the wall to finish its business. She stayed as she was on the cold floor; she was lost, tired, still scared, and now hungry since she didn't finish her dinner – things couldn't get much worse.

"Miss Watts, I'm sure you have a very good reason to be wandering the dungeons at night and disturbing others such as myself. I'd like to hear it."

She froze at the familiar voice but then immediately picked herself up off the ground. There she met the weary eyes of her professor. She gaped at him, completely dumbstruck. He raised an eyebrow, "Well…? I'm waiting."

Her brain had stopped functioning and she was now attempting to process what he just said. It was as if someone had pressed the mute button, she opened her mouth but no words came out, she could only hear the pounding of her heart in her ears. "I-I err I" she stuttered giving him a dear-in-the-headlights look. "I-I don't…..know?"

He stared expecting her to say more but then realized, in her silence, that she was only likely to start hyperventilating. He repressed a sigh. "What happened?" he asked in a less intimidating voice. She gulped and then feeling stupid said slowly, "There was a… a ghost." He closed his eyes briefly, feeling another headache coming along.

"Come with me." He said turning. She followed wordlessly behind him through the maze of corridors, kicking herself every step of the way. Her eyes were fixed on the stone floor beneath her feet the whole time; it came sooner than thought when they arrived at the door to her room. "I trust you don't need help finding your bed?" She blushed but luckily it was hidden by the dark. "Thank you…" she muttered and quickly scurried into her room.

Severus rolled his eyes and made his way back to the dungeons for a second -err third- shot at getting some sleep in a particularly sour mood. Hopefully this time he'll be able to sleep through the night in peace… He made a face, "Bloody…. baron," he said under his breath.

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**AN:** Sorry again it took so long; things have been kind of hectic. HUGE test coming up that I'm nowhere near ready for; I've got like a million things on my mind right now each slowly eating away... Yay me! 


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer:** Alright I just got an owl from JKR saying I own everything! ….Ok I lied, I own nothing.

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Chapter Ten

_Dear Harry,_

_Sorry it took so long to write back, I haven't really had a lot of time to myself. You were right, the school is amazing. I can't wait till classes start and of course, to see you again. Oh! I met Hagrid, he's really nice. He told me a lot about you, don't worry it was all good things. I'm slowly learning my way around, hopefully by the time you come Ill know the castle as well as you. I'm guessing Hedwig got tired of waiting because I can't seem to find her… Well see you soon, Harry! _

_Sincerely,_

_Rachel_

Rachel read over the letter a few times. She propped herself up on her bed. It was well into the afternoon, the sun was shining brightly through her window; its warm rays a nice contrast to the cool air.

A knock at her door brought her from her thoughts. Curious, normally people didn't come in the afternoon; they only escorted her to breakfast and dinner. She jumped off her bed, slightly intrigued as to who it was. She walked over to the door and opened it only to meet a smiling Mr. Lupin.

"Hi!" Rachel said surprised.

He gave her a warm smile, "Hello, Rachel."

He seemed to be in a chipper mood but he appeared quite the opposite. Dark circles were present under his tired eyes; he was very pale too, almost sickly looking. "How have you been?" he asked.

"Um good and yourself?"

"Oh just fine, thank you." Rachel doubted that. "So what have you been up to? Don't tell me you've shut yourself up in your room the whole time?" he said jokingly. She laughed, "No, I've been walking around a bit. I was just about to mail a letter."

"Well, don't let me stop you. I'll walk you to the owlery."

"Ok, thanks. Just let me get it." She said dashing into her room. She came out with a white envelope with Harry's name written on the front in big purple letters. With a nod, the two began walking down the sun soaked corridor.

"I've heard you're wandering around _too _much." Lupin said smiling down at her.

She blushed recalling the previous day. "No need to worry," he laughed "Believe it or not, Severus _does_ warm up once you get to know him. He's a bit hostile with everyone, don't take it personally."

"Oh…" she said wishing a topic change would come about. Lupin sensed this and complied, "Excited for term to start?"

"Yeah, I can't wait." She said smiling slightly.

"I'm sure you'll like it. I certainly did when I attended."

"You went here?" she asked taken aback.

"Oh yes, I was in Gryffindor with Harry's father and godfather, you met Sirius haven't you?"

"Yeah," she said recalling the dog man.

They climbed up a spiraling staircase that led to a circular stone room in which many owls were perched and sleeping. "Here we are," he said waiting just outside the door.

"Uhh which…?" she half-asked pointing to the owls.

"Oh, it doesn't matter, just mind your fingers." He said looking out at the landscape.

She hesitantly approached one of the owls, a small brown one that didn't look too intimidating. "Umm," she thought how to go about this, "Excuse me I uh need you to wake up…. Please?" She looked over her shoulder feeling dumb for talking to a bird but Mr. Lupin didn't seem to be paying attention. She turned back to the owl, "Hello…?" She was about to try and poke it but remembered Lupin and Harry's comments of 'minding fingers' and 'pecking eyes out' and thought better of it. Instead she clapped her hands in front of the owl; a flutter of wings came from behind her then slowly the tiny owl opened one of its amber eyes. "Hi," she said to it. The owl glared at her then closed its eyes. "No, no wait I need you to take this to my friend." She said quickly startling it again. She held out the letter; the creature eyed it and puffed out its chest. Reluctantly, after realizing she wouldn't leave, the owl grabbed the letter in its beak and flew to one of the glassless windows.

"Take … this… to… Harry," she said loud and slowly to the owl letting her words sink in. It just looked at her coldly and flew off; she watched it go hoping it was on its way to Harry and not to make nice with other owls; it was like sending off a S.O.S. note in a bottle and praying for it to find its way to the Coast Guard.

"Nice day out," said Lupin, "Care to take a stroll?"

"Sure," said Rachel stepping out of the room, a dozen glaring amber eyes glaring at her.

The pair ambled slowly along the forests edge, talking to each other about whatever seemed to cross their minds. It was peaceful, all of Rachel's troubles seemed to melt away…Then a slight rustling caused her to stop. She peered into the thick forest but saw nothing through its numerous trees. She made to step into the forest when Mr. Lupin called her, "Rachel, best not go in there." She withdrew and jogged over to him, "Sorry, forgot."

"There are dangerous creatures in that forest…it's in your interest not to wander in." he said in a firm voice.

She nodded, "Sorry again, I just thought I saw something." She said as they sat near the lake.

The sun was almost blinding as it shone over the immense grounds of Hogwarts. It glittered over the surface of the lake; every now and then a large shadow would cross it. Then to Rachel's surprise, while gazing into the lake, she spotted the castle's reflection. She looked up at it. It was once again the smoldering ruin she had first seen. 'I thought I'd look different now that I was inside…'

Mr. Lupin stood up suddenly. "If you'd excuse me, Rachel. I have to see a man about a tonic." He smiled. "See you at dinner."

She waved bye and watched him disappear into the castle. She laid down on the cool grass letting the warm sun wash over her. She closed her eyes soaking it all in… She could hear the birds chirping from within the forest, the lake's gentle lapping over the stone shore and the soft breeze that rattled the leaves on their branches. Just then the leaves began to shake violently; her eyes snapped open and she quickly sat up looking towards the forest. There was nothing. She waited a moment before lying back down. Again she closed her eyes and tried to relax but she couldn't quite shake the feeling of being watched from her, as if someone was standing over her. She only opened her eyes once, just to make sure then after that she was able to slowly drift off.

By the time she came to, the sun was just beginning to fall behind the horizon. She rubbed her eyes and shakily stood. With one look around she made her way into the castle. She checked her watch; its green numbers flickered and changed randomly. 'Oh yeah, I forgot…' She looked around for a clock but instead walked over to a portrait of a grey haired man in a pointed hat. "Excuse me, what time is it?"

"Hmm? Oh, it's quarter after seven, dear." He said looking at a pocket watch.

"Thank you," she said with a nod and walked off in the direction of the Great Hall. 'At least I'm not _that_ late.' She held her breath as she pushed open the oak doors. The table was more filled than before, Lupin was there too and to her somewhat relief, Snape wasn't.

"Ah Rachel, I was just about to come looking for you." Lupin said as she took a seat next to him. She noted that he looked better than before, some color was in his cheeks.

"Lost track of time," she said sheepishly. Automatically food appeared on her plate, steaming hot and her goblet filled with an orangey liquid. Dinner went by rather fast; in no time, Rachel was done her meal and listening to Mr. Lupin tell of his time in the castle. Some ways off, a clock rang nine causing him to abruptly stop; he pulled a watch from his pocket and stood tucking it away. "Sorry, Rachel but I must leave."

"Oh, okay," she said a little saddened. She stood too. "Do you need help getting back to your room?" he asked in a hurried voice.

"Uhh no, I'll manage alright."

He nodded, "See you again soon, Rachel." He said clapping her on the shoulder. "Bye." She said as he walked off through a side door.

It was dark out, she noted looking up at the enchanted ceiling; small stars shimmered but couldn't compare to the splendor of the full moon. 'Better get to bed straight away, don't want another episode like the other night.' She thought taking her eyes from the heavens.

She hurried through the empty corridors as fast as she could without running. Thankfully, she made it to her dorm without any getting lost or running into people (or ghosts). She almost thought it was too easy, 'I don't know how I couldn't find my way back before…' She faced the suit of armor, 'Wait… what was it again? Err golly wit? Gangly week?' She made a face, "Gal…Gee…uh gully…golly, oh duh, Gillyweed!" she said laughing at herself. But the armor didn't move. She stared, "Gillyweed, that's it right?" It didn't respond. "Gillyweed, I'm sure of it." She gaped at it and it stared blankly back.

"Actually it _was_ the password."

Rachel looked behind her, and in the painting was none other than Sir Cadogan. "What do you mean w_as_?" she asked slowly.

"_Was_ as in, not anymore, no longer, past tense … _was_."

She sighed impatiently, "What's the new one then?"

"Oh, well I can't tell you."

"Why not?!"

"Well," he said indignantly, "because how do I know if you're really Lady Rachel? I don't, you could be one of those horrible imposters!"

"But I'm not!" she protested.

He gave a harrumph of disbelief and dashed off into another portrait, forgetting about his trusty steed. Rachel stared at the painting open mouthed. "No way…" After a minute's struggle of trying not to scream in frustration or kick a wall, she finally managed to calm down. "Ok, it can't be that hard…" She thought for a moment, "Open Sesame." Nothing. "Ok, umm Abra Kadabra?" Nothing. She sighed, 'Worth a shot' "Mellon? …Ok I didn't think so, uhh…"

She kept at it for about twenty minutes-it wasn't like she had anywhere to go. She sat against the wall opposite the suit of armor, staring at the door. Charging the stupid tin can wasn't an option, she wanted to get to bed but not the _big_ bed if you know what I mean. And try as she might, since it was probably a magic oriented password she hadn't a snow cone's chance in hell of guessing it. So there she sat, in the middle of the hall, on the stone floor. At some point she gave up guessing and tried to find a comfortable position on the floor which as she found out, was a lot easier said than done.

'So much for this being easy…'

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**AN: **Yeah, I'm not really satisfied with this chapter, its ok though I guess. I'm not really at the top of my game, my minds still elsewhere… Yeah so review people, I'll go on an updating strike if I don't get at least five reviews. (call me a Review Nazi, I don't care, I just want to know what you people think! Oh yeah, shout out to Evey and Bella! 3 lol 


	11. Chapter 11

DISCLAIMER: Non possiedo nulla collegato per harry il vasaio.

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Chapter Eleven

As you can imagine, Rachel had the furthest thing from a good night's sleep. Between the hard stone floor, the cold drafts that would wash over her from time to time and the indistinguishable noises that floated through the dark, it was a wonder she fell asleep at all. But when she awoke the next morning she found herself not on the hard floor but in the warmth of her bed. She sat up slightly dazed, rubbing sleep from her eyes. Half awake, she stared out her window trying to make sense of everything –she didn't get past 'How'd I get here…?' After a minute, she wearily climbed out of bed.

She went to look at her watch but stopped remembering it wasn't working right. 'Maybe I didn't miss breakfast…' she thought hopefully. But the moment she descended the stairs all thoughts of breakfast were pushed fast from her mind for the person sitting awkwardly in the common room was none other than…(AN this would've been a _great_ place to end it )

"Harry!"

He jumped at the sudden outburst and looked up almost as surprised as her. "Rachel, I uh hi."

She stared at him half in shock, waiting for him to explain his sudden appearance. He looked at her blankly for a moment before realizing what she was waiting for. "Oh, uh I -I umm Dumbledore said I could come early. To show you around and stuff…" he said all in one breath.

"That's great, Harry! I really missed you!" she said pulling him into a bone-crunching hug. 'She did?' he thought to himself. She took a step back smiling, "Let me go get changed." She said recalling she was still wearing yesterday's clothes. She hurriedly changed and met him outside the common room. "What time is it?" she asked as her stomach reminded her of breakfast. "Almost nine," he said knowing why she'd asked, "but we could just go straight to the kitchens."

After a few minutes, they reached the entrance hall. She followed him past the main staircase and just next to it was a side passage, which they took. At the end of a long corridor was a large painting of various fruits. She furrowed her brow and looked up at him inquisitively. She'd be pretty amazed if you could eat them like in that one movie about a chocolate factory… But instead of licking the fruit he did something just as peculiar; he tickled it, the pear to be exact. And what's more amazing than edible paintings was that the pear started giggling, and turned into a handle. The painting opened like a door and revealed and large room resembling the Great Hall; in it many house elves scurried about. It wasn't long before one noticed them and came over; it had large bat-like ears and a long pointed nose. Oddly enough, it was wearing many hats and multiple pairs of socks.

"Harry Potter! So good to sees you again, sir!" it exclaimed. Harry smiled, "You too, Dobby."

Tears came to Dobby's large round eyes. "And he remembers Dobby's name!" he beamed, "What can Dobby do for Harry Potter?"

"Umm well we missed breakfast; do you think you could get us something to eat?

"Right away, sir!" he said and ran off, losing a hat in the process.

Harry and Rachel seated themselves -- at the equivalent of the staff's table for the hell of it – when Dobby came back with two trays of food. "Here's you are, Harry Potter, sir." He said giving him a tray and turning to Rachel, "Miss," She took the tray, "Thank you and its Rachel."

"Your welcome, Miss Rachel. Any friend of Harry Potter is a friend of Dobby." He smiled and left. "It's…just Rachel." She said to his retreating form.

They tucked into breakfast almost straight away and it wasn't long before they finished. They sat in silence for a moment, "What do you want to do now?" Harry asked.

Rachel thought for a moment but Harry spoke up first. "I could teach you how to play Quidditch." He suggested. She blinked, "Quidditch?" Harry smiled, this would be fun.

The Quidditch pitch was bathed in sunlight and a cool chill hung in the air. Rachel stood off to the sides, admiring the odd hoops at either end of the field; Harry had told her they were the goals. He had gone to the locker room to find them both brooms. Shortly after, he returned carrying two old broomsticks. "Here," he said handing one broom to her. "They're just Shooting Stars but they'll be ok to learn on; don't want anything too fast right away."

"But Harry I don't think I can --"

"It's ok you don't need magic to ride one; they've been charmed to fly. Here just get on, like this," he said mounting his own broom. She did the same watching him. "Ok, now kick off from the ground and hover a bit…" he said demonstrating, recalling his first flying lesson. She took a breath and with a bit of doubt, kicked off. And to her surprise, and Harry's delight, she found herself hovering a few inches off the ground."Wow!"

Rachel was a quick learner, in just a few hours she was confident enough to fly at the Shooting Star's maximum speed (which wasn't very fast but was impressive all the same). Her only hindrance was her now mentioned fear of heights. "You're doing really well, Rachel!" Harry said as they dismounted. "Maybe after you get some more practice in, I can teach you about the rules of Quidditch."

"That'd be cool." She smiled. The two put away the brooms and headed towards Hagrid's cabin. "I'm sure Hagrid won't mind," Harry said, "I don't think he knows I came early." Rachel grinned, "That'll be a pleasant surprise."

Harry knocked loudly on the cabin door only to be met by the booming bark of Fang. A minute passed and no one answered. "That's odd…" He knocked again and again Fang barked. Still, there was no answer. "Ah well, guess he went out."

Turning to leave, Harry suggested, "Hey how about we go to Hogsmeade?" She gave him a confused look. "It's a small village nearby, they have a lot of wicked shops." He explained. "Oh, alright." Rachel said distracted looking into the forest. "Rachel?" She quickly looked away, "Hmm?" "You okay?"he asked. "Yeah, its just... nevermind." she said shaking her head.

In no time they found themselves in the heart of Hogsmeade. Rachel's eyes wandered over every shop in awe and Harry, chuckling slightly, waited until she was done gaping until they moved on to the next. Zonko's was the first stop, one which Rachel particularly enjoyed. They bought Fanged Frisbees, fake wands, and dungbombs along with some other trinkets that would most likely appear on Filch's banned items list. Then the pair moved on to Honeyduke's, where they bought a large assortment of candies that would surely rot their teeth till Christmas. By the time they were done their window browsing, the sun was a dull red and retreating behind the horizon. "I think we have time for one more stop." Said Harry switching the bags to his left hand. "Where did you have in mind?" Harry pointed ahead of them to a pub with a sigh reading, _The Three Broomsticks_, "There."

It was cozy and warm inside, there were tables and booths and above the bar was a large mirror. Madam Rosmerta looked up as they entered, "Have a seat; I'll be with you in a jiff." She said from behind the bar. Harry and Rachel took a booth in a corner next to the window. Rachel looked around, studying the pictures and the odd people in robes. Then Madam Rosmerta came over to them, "What will it be?" she asked.

Harry glanced at Rachel, "Can I…?" She raised her eyebrows, "Sure.". "Two butterbeers please." Rosmerta nodded, "That'll be all?" Harry nodded and Rosmerta walked off to the counter. She reappeared with two bottles on a tray, "Four sickles." Harry removed four silver coins from his pocket and gave them to her. "Thank you and have a nice day." Rosmerta smiled and left the two alone.

Harry popped the cap off his and was about to take a sip but noticed Rachel's apprehension. "It's really good, trust me." Harry said convincingly. She shrugged; she had trusted him in more pressing situations than trying a new drink. She took a sip and immediately took a liking to it. "You're right," she laughed, "I think I found my new addiction." Harry smiled "Told you," Then she quickly looked out the window and a frown crossed her face, "Oh no… it's starting to rain." She said as the first few raindrops of a storm hit the glass pane. "We'd better get going," Harry said standing finishing his drink. Rachel stood and downed her butterbeer. "Okay, ready. Here let me help with the bags," she said grabbing two bags before Harry could protest. They waited for the rain to let up but to no avail. "Well if we wait we'll miss dinner…" said Harry looking to Rachel, not wanting to force her in the rain -- girls were weird about getting their hair wet. "Let's go then," she said. Harry nodded and the two dashed out into the downpour.

Within seconds they were drenched head to toe; it never crossed Harry's mind to use a water repelling charm. They ran frantically down the road away from Hogsmeade unable to see more than a foot in from of them. Then just as the pair began to tackle a hill, a short cry came from Rachel. Harry spun around and tried to make out her figure through the sheet of rain. "Rachel?" he called. He started back down the hill, "Rachel?" he called out again, worry in his voice. Then he heard laughing. Rachel, at the bottom of the slope, sat laughing as the rain soaked her already waterlogged clothes. As Harry came closer he saw she was covered in mud too. "Are you okay?" he asked half worried half confused. She tried to speak but only laughed more. He helped her to her feet. "I'm sorry," she said through giggles, "This is just so ridiculous; look at us – we're soaked and covered in mud." Harry missed the part that was funny but after a moment he found himself laughing as well which only made Rachel laugh harder. After the worst of the laughing fit was over, they again set off for Hogwarts.

By the time they reached the Entrance Hall, cold, wet, and muddy, dinner had already started and a moderate noise could be heard coming from the Great Hall. A mischievous look crossed Harry face, "Do you want to go in there like this?"

"What?! Are you serious?" she asked eyes wide.

"Yeah, why not?" he laughed.

"Well for one we might get sick and two… who knows what they'll think! I'm trying to make a good impression here, remember." She said crossing her arms.

He made a face. "Alright." He sighed defeated. "Meet you back here in a bit." He said. She nodded and turned to leave, "Oh, Harry!" she called. "Hmm?" "What's the password?" Harry smiled, "Hinkypunk." She nodded, "Thanks," she said wondering what a Hinkypunk could be.

Rachel was done in about five minutes and stood outside the Great Hall, looking for Harry. She decided to go in after about a minute figuring he was either not ready or already there. The latter was right; he was seated on the left side of the table, the complete opposite of where Snape was situated. She was half relieved but then a thought crossed her mind. There were three empty seats, one in between Harry and Hagrid, one next to Snape and another next to the before mentioned chair. She twisted her lips thinking, 'Time to make a peace treaty…' she thought as she ambled up to the table. Harry gave her a questioning look but she only smiled and winked in response. Taking a deep breath she walked over to Snape who, after realizing she wasn't going away, mustered up the best glare he could. She tried to remain un-phased but failed miserably, "Do you m-mind if I umm sit here?"

He seemed somewhat shocked, either because she still wanted to sit with him after his glare or the fact that she wanted sit with him at all or perhaps both. She waited for his response. He stood and pulled out a chair for her, "Not at all," he said. Now it was Rachel's turn to be taken aback. "Oh, uh thanks." She said sitting. She turned to smile at him but found him already halfway across the Hall. She looked crestfallen; she thought she was making progress. She sighed, "So much for that treaty…"

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AN: So glad I finally got this chapter out; sorry again that it took so long. Please tell me what you think! Any suggestions or questions are welcome! 


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer**: Let's pretend I came up with a witty way of saying Harry Potter isn't mine.

**AN**: Special thanks to Emgem and MeaghanPotter for helping bring Lupin back into play. (later on that is)

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The weeks soon melted away, consisting of some quality time between Rachel and Harry. In no time the first of September rolled around and the two anxiously awaited the arrival of the others. As tradition, it was thunder storming horribly when Hagrid brought the first years across the lake. Harry and Rachel stood in the entrance hall, staring off into the dark rain soaked night. Lightning illuminated the grounds for a brief second, revealing many horseless carriages approaching the castle. Rachel's breath caught in her throat. 'I'm not one of them… what if they can tell…?' She picked at her new school robes, 'I look ridiculous too…' She jumped at a hand on her shoulder, it was Harry. "It'll be fine," he smiled, "Trust me." She nodded and forced a thin smile. 

Now they could just barely hear the clop of hooves over the rain. The giant doors were pushed all the way open by hundreds of drenched students carrying all sorts of luggage. The hall was flooded and Rachel found herself in the middle of it. "Harry?" she called once she realized he was no longer beside her. She cursed under her breath as she tried to push through the crowd in what she hoped was the direction Harry had gone. So many faces; none familiar, none Harry's. Then something red caught her eye. She immediately thought of the red headed family she stayed with and moved towards him.

"Ron? Is that you?" she called above the chatter.

The red haired boy turned; it wasn't him. "Fred I could understand you mistaking me for, but Ron? C'mon, we both know I'm much more handsome." Grinned George.

"Sorry, have you seen Harry?"

His grin grew, "Nope sorry. I reckon you two got close over the past week. Do anything special?" he asked mischievously.

"Rachel! There you are!" Harry said taking her shoulder, Ron and a brown haired girl behind him. "We were looking for you. The feasts going to start soon, c'mon." He said ushering her into the Great Hall.

The hall looked even more amazing than before; even though she was used to its enchanted ceiling it seemed to have put on its best face for the newcomers. Four other long tables had been added to the room, vertical compared to the staff table. Ravenclaw, she thought to herself, they err _we_ have a blue crest. She soon was able to pick out the other Ravenclaw students and said goodbye to Harry and his friends. To her disappointment, Harry's house was a table away; students with yellow between them. She sat down at the table feeling awkward and somewhat paranoid as if the entire hall was staring at her. But that was all in her mind, though there were a few whispers she heard about her.

"Who's the new girl?"

"I dunno, too old to be a first year…"

"Transfer student..?"

"Maybe…"

But the questioning whispers died down when the doors opened. In strolled Professor McGonagall leading a band of young children who were a mix between fear and excitement. Rachel smiled; at least she wasn't the only one new to this whole magic thing… They stopped in front of the staff table then without warning, the sorting hat burst into a rather lengthy song causing one of the first years to scream. McGonagall took out a long list. "When I call your name, come forward and you will be sorted into your house." She said sharply. The first years exchanged uncertain glances with each other.

"Abigail Algrate."

A timid looking blond girl made her way through the crowd and hesitantly sat on the stool. The raggedy old hat engulfed her head and a short time after shouted, "Hufflepuff!" The girl, Abigail, ran off to the yellow table which was cheering loudly. Mental note, yellow is Hufflepuff. The sorting was rather uneventful, Rachel became uninterested fairly quickly. It wasn't until Dumbledore stood and the room quieted that she looked up. He spread his arms almost as if he was going to give the room a hug which didn't seem out of character for him. "Friends, students, faculty, old… and new," he said looking almost directly at Rachel. "We welcome you to Hogwarts and hope it may become a second home to you. Now, I can imagine how famished you all must be so I wont talk for long." He smiled. "Let me just say the rules stand as they are, the Forbidden Forest is off limits as always and I believe Mr. Filch here has a list of items that are not to be permitted." At this, Filch handed him a list about five times as long as the one McGonagall had. His eyebrows rose, "Perhaps it'd be best if we just send copy to each common room…Well, tuck in!"

The hall erupted in conversation as food appeared on the plates. Everyone around her was deep in talk; Rachel didn't mind not being part of, she wasn't sure she had her story straight —one slip up and… She didn't want to think about that now, no need to freak herself out.

"…Potter …already here… too good for the train…"

Rachel turned around, seeking out the speaker, her eyes landed on a blond boy. He had a smirk on his face, beside him were two large boys and a girl with black bobbed hair, all hunched over laughing as if they heard the funniest joke ever. The blond boy's smirk faded as he realized he was being watched. Rachel blushed and quickly turned away.

"Best not to get mixed up with that lot." Said a girl to her left.

"Hmm? What lot?" Rachel asked the brunette.

"The Slytherins." She said nodding at the table beside them. "The whole lot of 'em are bad news, most turn out to be dark wizards."

Her first thought was _the Wicked Witch of the West_ but then she remembered the cloaked figures at privet drive. She looked back at the Slytherin table, 'They seem normal enough…well normal for wizards I guess.' She didn't feel the one boy's cool blue eyes on her back nor did she take notice of Snape's uneasy glace at her.

"You weren't here last year,were you? Why'd you transfer schools?" She turned back to the girl.

"Uhh…well umm you see my parents thought I uh needed a change in scenery…" She lied hoping the girl would buy it. "Ah, that's cool I guess, wish my parents would send me to another school- always wanted to go to Beabatons and learn French. I mean ever since Potter started, things have been kind of screwy, you know?"

"You mean Harry?" she asked recalling the tales she had been told.

"Yeah, should've been expelled ages ago. Only stayed because the old man likes him. Everywhere he goes, he brings trouble-"

"And I assume you've never talked to him personally? Never bothered to get to know him before making such a harsh judgment?" Rachel asked in a heated tone, her temper rising fast.

"Well no…" the girl said defeated and moved to another side of the table to no doubt talk about the 'snobby new girl'.

The nerve of that girl! Rachel thought angrily. She glanced protectively over at Harry from across the room; he was so nice, how could anyone think otherwise? By chance he happened to look up and meet Rachel's eyes. She broke out in an ear to ear smile, all anger gone from her being. After a moment, she looked away, breaking eye contact. The rest of the meal was rather uneventful- she failed to meet anyone she got along with.

"That one…yeah, do you think…?"

"… definitely not… spot one a mile away."

Rachel couldn't help but listen to the two boys behind her; paranoia got the best of her. "…Look how they stare, this one's unfazed…" She closed her eyes trying to improve her hearing however that might work but she couldn't make out anything else since the conversation turned to whispers. She gave up as Dumbledore rose from his chair and dismissed them. In the rush of things she couldn't find Harry to say good night to, he probably was on his way to his dorm. 'Too bad…' She looked back on last time before leaving, a few seats at the staff table were empty, Snape's being one of them. 'Must've practically run out of here…' she noted. She sighed feeling slightly sluggish and trudged after the volley of Ravenclaws to the dorm. After a bit the group stopped just before the knight, she heard someone shout, "Hinkypunk!" in a commanding voice. Many first years gasped at what Rachel expected was the suit of armor moving out of the way; she smiled. The lot filed into the common room without too much pushing and shoving; Rachel was able to grab herself a seat next to the window while people crowded around the bulletins. The room was filled with chatter as people grouped themselves saying hello to old friends and making new ones filling each in on the latest gossip which in some cases was her. She tried ignoring the unpleasant things and angry glances that escaped the clique the one girl was in.

"…Potter's girlfriend..."

"…thinks she's so much better than us…"

"…should've been in Slytherin…"

Rachel rolled her eyes. 'Girls were just as bad here!' she thought bitterly as she abruptly stood from her chair and headed towards her room. To her dismay, five other beds had been added. 'So much for me time… I hope I don't get stuck with what's-her-face.' Later she found out what's-her-face was a seventh year and didn't have to share her room with sixth years- which was what Rachel was supposed to be.

She plopped onto her bed pulling a textbook off her nightstand and took her schedule out of one of its pages. 'What do I have tomorrow…?' she asked herself. "Herbology, Ancient Runes, Divination and double Potions…" she read off the list.

"Fun." She said dryly to herself tucking the paper back into her book. Magic or not, it was still school. She paused before going to dig through her trunk. Pulling out a pair of pajama pants and a tank top, she went into the bathroom to change. After pulling on her sleepwear, she brushed her teeth and hair. When she emerged from the loo, she jumped slightly at seeing someone else in the room. A girl with long blond hair sat with her back to her on the bed next to Rachel's. She hesitated a moment before slowly putting her things away in her trunk. She looked up at the girl who had been silently watching her with a half interested expression. Now that she had gotten Rachel's attention she spoke, barely above a whisper,

"You're not one of us are you?" asked the girl casually causing Rachel inhale sharply. 'How did she know?!'

Play it cool… "What?" she asked innocently.

"You're not from here, I can tell by the accent." She smiled knowingly. Thank god! "Oh that," Rachel laughed, relieved. "Yeah, I'm from America."

She seemed to contemplate for a moment, her large blue eyes never leaving hers. Rachel almost thought she saw through the lie but then she gave a small smile, "I'm Luna but everyone calls me Looney Luna behind my back." She stated mater of factly.

"Why would they call you that..?" Rachel asked feeling uncomfortable.

"Because they think I'm crazy…" Luna said fluffing her pillow.

"You don't seem crazy to me…"

Luna looked at her for a moment, "Alright… but make sure you put a pair of smelly socks on your bed post to appease the house elves or else they'll give you cold eggs in the morning." She said and tucked herself into bed. Rachel stared for a moment, 'Was this a joke? A way to make the new girl look stupid?' She thought for a moment then went over to her trunk and took out a pair of socks. Just as she reached up with the socks, a group of girls – her other roommates – came in. They stopped, "What are you doing?" one asked.

"Uh…it's for the house elves…" Rachel said feeling lost and rather silly.

They glanced at each other and gave her an 'okaaay' look. Rachel almost slapped herself, 'Either Luna _is_ crazy or _I'm _gullible!' No matter what the explanation, she couldn't deny that the next morning's eggs _were_ extra hot.

After the other girls stopped talking and finally said their extra long good-nights, Rachel clicked off her light and tried to sleep. Even though by now she was used to the bed but the presence of the other girls and the nerve wracking fact that classes start tomorrow kept her awake. She sighed and turned onto her stomach hugging her pillow. Closing her eyes and trying to clear her mind of any thoughts, she attempted sleep again but to no avail. This was beginning to frustrate her. She sat up in bed and stared out the window; she could only see blackness, the stars couldn't be seen. She slid out of her covers and walked over to the window. Looking down, she could just make out the shape of trees and mountains in the distance. She tired of the darkness and turned away from the window; everyone was still sleeping. She crawled back into bed for lack of something better to do. She lay there for quite some time, trying not to think of anything and slowly she began to drift off…

She bolted upright, breathing hard, her clothes coated with sweat. Nightmare. She didn't remember it; as soon as her eyes opened, it had left her. She looked around—no one had woken up. She steadied her breathing trying to remember what had happened. She managed to pull the hazy image of a snake from her memory but that was it. Not much to go off of but she decided to play the 'happy ending game' anyway; she'd do this whenever she had a nightmare. 'Ok…uh lets pretend the snake was going to eat me then…uh I found a sword and killed it.' She got a mental image of a dead snake and seemed satisfied enough to try sleep once more. It was still dark outside, couldn't have been sleeping for more than an hour. She sighed, laying back down hoping she wouldn't get hit with another nightmare. Still groggy, she fell asleep fairly easier than before.

* * *

When Rachel entered the great hall the next morning, she was immediately greeted by Harry who waved her over to the Gryffindor table. "Morning," said Harry. She noticed his hair was tousled and laughed, "Get in a fight with the Sandman?" He blushed and quickly changed the subject. "Uh this is Hermione." He said pointing to a girl with bushy brown hair. "Nice to meet you, Rachel. Don't worry, Harry told me everything so you don't have to pretend." 

"Oh did he?" she asked giving Harry a look. He shrugged and mouthed 'sorry'. "Err you already met Ron," At this Ron looked up from his plate and mouth full of food, mumbled something that sounded a lot like 'grape'. She didn't know quite what to say but just smiled to seem polite.

"What classes do you have?" asked Hermione.

Only then did Rachel realize she had left her schedule in the dorm. She had wanted to bring it just to be safe. "Oh uh… Divination, Herbology, Potions and uh Ancient Runes today." She said recalling the paper. "Oh, I have Ancient Runes too! Maybe we'll be in the same class." She said cheerfully. "Cool," Rachel said grabbing a piece of toast. The morning owl post came- this time Rachel didn't freak out. She was quite proud of herself.

She looked around the hall, it wasn't very full, people were still walking in. Up at the staff table, quite a few seats were empty. Her eyes landed on Snape, he still looked tired as if he just dragged himself out of bed. He wasn't eating much, just pushing food around on his plate. Rachel laughed softly, 'He's playing with his food.' At this he looked straight at her from across the room, she went wide eyed and quickly turned away. Almost like he read her mind… Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him stand and begin walking towards them. Her breath froze in her chest and she ducked her head hoping to become invisible. 'Please don't stop, please don't say anything, please don't say anything, please-' He glided by the table without a word or glance to them.

"He looks likes he's in a nasty mood today," Ron snorted as he left.

"When doesn't he?" Harry asked.

"You've got a point." He laughed. "Good luck with him, Rachel."

She looked away from the door he disappeared into, "What do you mean?"

"You said you had potions, right?"

"Yeah.."

"Well he teaches potions. You didn't know that?"

"No… I've got double today too…"

"Double?!" Harry said loudly.

"Nice knowing you, Rachel." Said Ron mock shaking her hand.

"Come on, you're scaring her." Said Hermione, "Honestly, they're making it out to be much worse than it is. I actually found it somewhat enjoyable…"

Ron snorted, "Says the girl who memorized all the textbooks."

Hermione shot him a glare that quieted him then smiled back to Rachel, "It's really not that bad, is it Harry?"

"Oh um I guess not…" he said as Hermione gave him an 'agree-with-me-or-else' look. "There, you see?"

The first bell rung as Rachel was about to say something. "Oh, we have to go!" squeaked Hermione jumping to her feet. "C'mon we're going to be late!" she said urging the two boys to hurry. "See you later," said Harry while Ron waved lazily as they ran off to their class.

'Better hurry before _I'm _late!' She sprinted through the entrance hall and out the doors. The sun was almost blinding as it shone on the immense grounds of Hogwarts. She shielded her eyes as she walked around to the greenhouses. There were a few people stationed around the greenhouse labeled four. They turned as she approached but lost interest just as soon. She noticed they were a mix of Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs. Soon the rest of the class appeared and a plump looking woman came over to them.

"Good morning, class." She said smiling.

"Good morning, Professor Sprout." The class chimed back.

"Today we'll be trimming Flutterby Bushes over on the sides of the greenhouses. You'll also be collecting flobberworms that have been feeding off them." There were a few groans. "Now, none of that. Each of you will need a pair of gloves, hedge clippers and a jar to put the worms in."

They filed into the greenhouse to get the supplies and took a place beside a greenhouse. "How can we tell which are Flutterby Bushes, Professor?" asked one boy.

"Well they shake and quiver of course." She said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

The gloves were rough on her hands and were a bit too big, making using the clippers awkward. It didn't help that the bushes thrashed about moving every which way trying to avoid the clippers. Rachel sighed after finishing the first. Thankfully, the others were having a hard time as well. She looked around the base of the plant and saw a few brown flobberworms gnawing on fallen leaves. She scooped them into the jar, trying not to touch them. She watched them crawl around on the bottom and try to climb out. She put the lid on tightly and set it beside her.

"Alright everyone jars and supplies here! Bell's about to ring." Called Prof. Sprout. "We'll continue on Wednesday."

The bell reached their ears and they flooded back into the school. "Ancient Runes, Ancient Runes…. Where the hell is that?!" she muttered as she walked down the hall.

"Rachel!" said a voice behind her.

Hermione ran to catch up with her, "You're going the wrong way. Good thing I caught you."

"Thanks, I'd be lost without you," Rachel joked though it was true. There were only a few minutes between classes so the two had to practically run up to the second floor. "Its just at the end of this corridor." Said Hermione. Just seconds before the bell, they took their seats.

The class was mostly book reading which Rachel lost interest in pretty soon after it was assigned. Hermione on the other hand had her eyes glued to the pages and even read a few chapters ahead. It was about Atlantean rituals that were recovered from pottery. Rachel shut her book, 'Doubt they have wizard Spark Notes…' She zoned out after a bit, letting her mind wander only snapping out of her trance when the third bell rung. She jumped and quickly put her books away.

"Wasn't that interesting?" asked Hermione excitedly. "I never knew they capable of summoning a Hippocampus from its home. And can you believe how they used the sun as a-"

"Um yeah, that's really cool. I have to get to Divination." She said quickly.

"Oh right, well see you at lunch." Hermione said and ran off to her next class.

Divination took place at the base of the North tower. A trapdoor ladder led up to a circular room filled with throw pillows, squashy armchairs and various shiny things. It had the overwhelming smell of incense, spices and perfumes. Professor Trelawney, the gypsy-like woman Rachel had met once, was going around placing booklets on each of the many little round tables. Rachel took a seat by the window hoping the fresh air would drown out the worst of the strong perfumes. A book was plopped on her table; it had a hand with lines on it and an eye above it. It was entitled 'The Beginners Guide to Palm Reading'.

More people arrived, most that Rachel didn't know – hell, she barely knew anyone in this castle! Her heart skipped a beat as a head of blond hair came into sight through the trapdoor. Straight away she knew it was him, the boy that was talking about Harry, the boy that what's-her-face said was in the wrong crowd. But then again, what's-her-face hadn't been the best judge of character... 'I don't know why I'm making such a big deal.' She thought to herself, 'I mean he's just a kid. There's nothing scary about-'

"Mind if I sit here?"

Rachel looked up to find him standing in front of her, a small smirk in place. She stared at a loss for words. "I'm Draco, by the way." She shook her head trying to clear it.

"The professor says we need partners," he said taking her hand. "We're doing palmistry; looking into our pasts, futures…and love lives." He said running his finger over her palm. "Okay!" she exclaimed loudly yanking her hand out of his grasp. "Draco… uh I'd like to be your _partner_ but I uh already have one." She said glancing around the room. By chance and luck of the gods, she happened to spot Luna walking in. "Oh really? Where are they then?" he asked, a serious look replacing his smirk. "Behind you." She laughed nervously, trying to keep up the friendly. "Luna!" she called waving her over. Luna paused a moment before walking over. "Hello," she said softly while eyeing Draco as he slunk back to his friends. He ended up with the girl with black hair who seemed happier about it than he was. "Want to work together?" she asked making sure Draco didn't hear. "Sure," said Luna sitting next to her.

"Today class, we shall be practicing the art of palmistry… I trust you have all found a partner?" Draco glanced over at her and she pretended she didn't notice. But she did and a chill ran up her spine. "Good, let's begin. Open your booklets to page 3 and begin the first five steps. I'll be coming around to guide you…"

The book was full of complex diagrams and confusing instructions, it made assembling a rocket seem easy! She had no luck with palmistry, the markings on Luna's hand were not like the ones in the book – or perhaps they were and Rachel just couldn't tell them apart—so she basically made up things that seemed likely to happen in Luna's future, tripping on the stairs, making a new friend (already did that), eating soup—you know, the norm. To her dismay, they were assigned to read five other people's palms for homework.

"You want to give it a go?" Rachel asked hoping Luna knew what she was doing. She nodded and Rachel held out her hand. Luna stared for a moment then looked over at the book, "It seems your life line is prominent… this other one is too… but your heart line is fading… Ill look up what that means…" she said slowly. Rachel glanced at her hand then in the book, trying to figure out if that's as bad as it sounded but Trelawney swept upon them.

"What do we have here, dears?" she asked taking Rachel's hand in a firm grip. Her eyes went wider if possible and she let out an overdramatic gasp so that she had the entire class's attention. "OH! You poor child! Do you see this here?" she exclaimed pointing to a small freckle on her hand. Rachel peered up at her hand then at her professor. "Yeah…?"

Trelawney released her hand as if it had bitten her and stepped back. "It's the mark of certain death!" she exclaimed placing a hand over her heart.

"Err I think its just dirt…" Rachel said trying to pick it off.

She shook her head vigorously, "Poor dear, she's in denial… You see, that monstrosity obstructing your life line—Rachel shot her a look--means that you'll die an unnatural death and judging by its placement… rather soon." She just stared in disbelief, mouth slightly open.

The bell rang disrupting the thick silence that had settled over the class. Rachel's heart leapt as she quickly rose from her squishy pillow. Her eyes never left Trelawney as she edged to the trapdoor. Once down the ladder, she raced down the hall, nearly knocking over Draco and his cronies. By the time Rachel reached the Great Hall, she was out of breath and slightly dizzy. She scanned the Gryffindor table; Harry, Ron, and Hermione weren't to be seen. She sighed and headed for the Ravenclaw table still glancing over at the door in the hopes of them coming late.

She picked at her sandwich, unable to eat. She groaned aggravated and put her head in her hands. First Trelawney practically gives her a death sentence and now she has to spend two hours with Snape who at this point must hate her! She felt someone sit beside her and looked up expecting to see Harry.

"I don't remember getting your name," Draco said casually. No harm in telling him, she thought….Unless he runs it through Stalkers-R-Us, chimed in the little voice in the back of her head which, like most of the time, she ignored. "Sorry, I'm Rachel." She said finally. He smiled, somewhat proud of himself. "Pretty name for a pretty girl." She began to fidget, feeling uncomfortable again, "Uh thanks?" She noticed the other Ravenclaws making faces at them as if they were irked by his being there.

"Why don't you come sit with me and my friends?" he gestured over to the two hulky boys snickering to each other who immediately stopped when seeing the look Draco was giving them. He turned back to her, "No need to sit by yourself…"

She stood, he along with her. "Oh that's… nice but I'm really not hungry." She said actually telling the truth. He looked a bit disappointed, "Maybe another time," she added and he perked up. "Ill hold you to it," he said smirk returning. And she knew he definitely would. She turned to leave but he caught her arm. She looked back at him, he stared for a long moment then said bye. "Bye…" she said and half ran out of the hall.

'Ok, so he's weird… it doesn't mean he's evil or anything. Who cares what house he's in anyway…?' She sighed, 'Give him a chance…' She wandered around a bit, worrying constantly and ignoring the little voice more. The bell rang, her heart leapt into her throat. She hurried down to the dungeons not wanting to be late, thankfully she was able to follow the outflow of students to the classroom. She had arrived early, first one there. Snape hadn't seen her yet so she held back waiting for other people to get there, trying to avoid an awkward silence. A few minutes later, people started to arrive, all silent when they entered. 'Ok, just breathe… breathe and don't give him any reason to hate you… right…ok' she finally gathered enough courage to go in and just as she did, she nearly collided with him. And from the look on his face she could tell Hermione had been terribly wrong, this was going to be hell. And even in her fearful state, she couldn't help but think that she was one step closer to her death…

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AN: Yay! Longer than I thought! Hope you liked it! Please review! Oh and btw its NOT DMOC. I repeat, NOT DMOC!! Sorry for any Draco fangirls but at least he's in it Review:  



	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer:** I do not now nor have I ever owned Harry Potter or anything in relation to JKR and/or Warner Bros

Moment of silence for all those who died in Deathly Hallows, especially one person…

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Chapter Thirteen 

Severus's disposition hadn't improved since breakfast, it had actually gotten worse. Little things he normally could tolerate seemed to set him off now and send him deeper into his bad mood. As the usual batch of nitwits filed into his class, he noticed with what would have been amusement had it been on another day that the students seemed to be desperately trying to avoid the first few rows of desks, hoping to be spared from his wrath. He moved from behind his desk to close the door and just as he reached for the handle, someone rushed into the room, barely missing him. It was the muggle, he noted scowling at her. Oh if only looks could kill… She looked fearfully up at him, waiting for him to scream or attack her. "Take your seat." He said through gritted teeth. She scurried past him counting her blessings and he shut the door with more force than necessary. She was standing in the middle of the class, looking at the two empty rows of desks, deciding which would be her best option. Something inside him must've snapped because at that moment she became the focus of his anger. "I thought I told you to sit down." He said coming up behind her. She spun around, eyes wide as if seeing him for the first time. "I-I sorry I was-" she managed to get out before he interrupted her.

"If I wanted you to bore me with your excuses, Miss Watts, I'd have asked you to." He said in a dangerously low tone, "Take. Your. Seat."

Rachel complied immediately, plopping into the seat nearest her. "Fifty points from Ravenclaw…for disobedience." He caught a look of confusion on her face and a small smirk tugged on the corners of his lips. "Oh, that's right, you're new to the rules…I assume they taught you the basics of Potions in _America_?" he asked knowing full well that _they_ didn't but she'd still have to play along to keep up her story. It was almost like an inside joke they shared only it wasn't very humorous and was tottering quite close to blackmail. "Yes…sir." She added the last trying to pacify him. "Then, what, can you tell me, is a key ingredient in Memory Potions?" The look on her face was priceless; it was a cross between shock and disbelief. Did he expect her to deliberately make a fool of herself? The look he was giving her clearly said 'yes'. "I don't know, sir." She said softly. "Jobberknoll feathers." He answered. "Now what type of potions is scurvy grass used in?" Again she answered, "I don't know." This time a blush crept onto her cheeks.

"How disappointing…" he said in a mock voice, "Clearly, they _don't _teach you anything in America."

He could tell she was quite upset with him at this point and he knew very well that he deserved it. He knew he was venting his anger on her for just being there but he didn't really care at the moment, hell, it might even lessen her futile attempts to make nice with him. Eventually he got bored of her and moved onto harassing other students while assigning them to recopy a textbook- why let them have fun blowing themselves up?

He spent most of the class grading papers though he didn't make much progress; due to his fierce scribbling he kept poking holes in the papers with his quill which only seemed to irk him more. He sighed giving up and threw the quill on his desk sneering at it. He surveyed the room with a sour expression; they were all doing what he told them to do, not wanting to test their luck with him. Grabbing a book from his desk, he lazily opened it to a random page and began reading trying to make himself interested.

'…_quite valued among potion brewers though almost impossible to get from a living Acromantula and just as hard to retrieve from a deceased one seeing as the venom dries out quite quickly after it dies. The price those are willing to pay for a pint of the venom may reach up to 100 galleons- a fair price for such a….'_

He paused, feeling eyes on him and looked up just in time to see _the girl_ quickly duck her head and begin writing in her book. He narrowed his eyes; she was probably still upset, trying to curse him no doubt- oh wait, she can't. He snorted going back to his book but his mind kept drifting away from the words on the page. He must've let his guard down a bit at some point, carelessly allowing his Legilimency skills to subconsciously seep out. A thought floated through his mind, he wouldn't have thought much of it, had it been his own.

'… _poor guy… Don't you worry; I'll be there for you, Severus Snape…'_

His head shot up, looking around the room as if searching someone out, his eyes landed on her. She held her breath scribbling in her book pretending to be doing something, he didn't look away. She stopped. She was visibly shaking he noted looking at her hands. She hesitated and looked up, failing to read his expression. He did nothing, but felt a wave of pity and something like confusion come from her. She stared at him almost transfixed…

The bell rang. She jumped and turned back to her things and gathered them up. She stood almost tripping over her own feet and made her way to the door. 'Don't call me back. Don't call me back. Don't-'

"Miss Watts. Sit." He commanded.

She cringed, mentally cursed and begrudgingly sat. She watched the other students leave, wishing she could be one of them. He took his time coming over to her, "You're aware that you have _double_ Potions, yes?" She looked sideways at him, "Yes…" He returned to his desk, "Good." She stayed seated staring at him. 'Okaaay?' She looked at the door then back to him. "Can I go?" she asked slowly. "Weren't you listening? You still have class," he said narrowing his eyes at her. "But… class is over." She said slowly. He rolled his eyes, "That was the first half. You still have another hour, hence the name _Double _Potions."

Was he kidding? No, he doesn't seem the type to kid. It couldn't be that bad… "When are the others coming?" she asked trying again to avoid an awkward silence. "There are no others," he said standing, "You're the only one with double." …Actually, it _could_ be that bad.

She looked at him. "Oh." She said in a more high pitched voice than she'd have liked. She looked down at her desk thinking of conversation and whether or not to initiate it. The door shut behind her, she looked up to him holding a wand. Her heart sped up. 'Stop it, calm the hell down girl! This is going to be fine. It's not like he's going to torture you; he seems calmer than before anyway…'

"It's more clandestine this way," he said nodding towards the door. "Don't have to worry about prying ears when discussing your… situation."

"My situation…?" she asked slowly, barely hearing what he was saying.

He looked at her oddly, "Your being a muggle." She nodded her head slightly, "Right…" He moved to his cabinet and scanned through it. He seemed different now… he wasn't all angry. He was acting… normal, as if he was never in a horrid mood and didn't just humiliate her in front of class.

"Its better to start you off at a first year's level, something safe that won't kill you if you muddle it up." He said placing various little vials on her desk. "What are we making?" she asked. He pursed his lips, "_You _are going to make a Memory Potion." He looked at her, "Tell me again what the key ingredient was in them…"

She blinked. Crap he had told her this, didn't he? "Uh…" she looked at him sheepishly "Jagger gnaws feathers…?" He resisted rolling his eyes and put a handful of feathers on her desk. "_Jobberknoll_." He corrected.

"Oh, sorry…"

He returned from a bookshelf and handed her a first year's textbook. "Page 53." She opened it and skimmed over the directions, they weren't too complex she thought to her relief. She lined up all the ingredients in order of sequence.

Snape took a seat on a desk in front of her, watching with mild interest. He sat ready to spring up if she came up with anything possible of combustion; beginners were always dangerous to work with, not knowing the warning signs of a potion about to explode or what doesn't act nice when it's mixed with other components. She seemed like the kind of klutz to chop off a finger too. Under Snape's watchful eyes, she began preparing the ingredients. She carefully extracted the inner vein of a root and then picked up a small knife and tried removing the soft vanes from the shaft of the –err-- _Jobberknoll_ feathers.

Snape stood, grimacing, "Stop," he said walking over to her, "You're mangling it, here, it's easier this way." He leaned over her, his hair brushing her cheek slightly. It was soft... she thought to herself. Time seemed to stop for a brief moment. She let him take the knife from her hands. "See?" he asked taking the vane off in one clean sweep. She nodded her head slightly, "Uh huh." He repeated it again, clearing the other side, leaving the feather bare. He stepped back handing the knife back to her. "You try." Rachel felt light headed for some reason but complied anyway. She mimicked what he showed her to his satisfaction though it wasn't as graceful as how he did it. She noticed her heart beating faster than before.

Now with Snape standing over her shoulder--- no pressure—she began to add the ingredients. She glanced at the book making sure she was doing what it told her. Stirring when it instructed, pausing before adding the next thing, counting counter clockwise stirs; she assumed she hadn't messed up yet for Professor Snape didn't make any move to scold her. After adding the last part she stirred the potion and it became a light purplish color, only about a hue or two off from the textbook. She sat back, somewhat proud. Snape set a rack of small vials upon her desk; he must've silently slipped off and gotten it. "Fill these for testing and bring them to me." He said walking to his desk. She carefully dipped the vials into the cauldron until each was full and plugged it with a stopper. She stood and placed the tray on his desk, he didn't look up. "I expect two scrolls on Memory charms and side effects when lacking or having too much of an ingredient by Wednesday." He said curtly, still writing in his spidery handwriting. "O-okay." She said wanting to say something else. She stood awkwardly at his desk as he either ignored or didn't notice her still there. The bell rang again. "That's all." He said still looking down.

She didn't move; she waited until he looked up curious as to why she was still here. She seemed fidgety and slightly scared as if she wanted to head for the hills. He raised an eyebrow; she obviously was trying to say something. "Yes?" he drawled. She blushed and lowered her eyes to the papers on his desk and her shoes. "I…" She took a deep breath. "I just wanted to… thank you," she looked up quickly catching his reaction which was a mix between shock, suspicion and something else she couldn't identify. She continued, "For saving me back in Privet Drive…. And for being patient when I was late…and," she paused blushing again. "I'm sorry I bit you…"

Severus didn't know what to say, this was the last thing he expected. He wasn't used to being thanked-- at all – let alone apologized to, especially by someone he had just embarrassed. Then he remembered what she had thought. What was wrong with her? Why would she want to have any interaction with him that wasn't necessary? Even most of his colleagues avoid him! He composed himself, aware she was reading every emotion on his face. "You're dismissed, Miss Watts." He said quietly. She gave him a nervous small smile and gathered her things before heading for the door. He took one last look at her before the door clicked shut behind her, trying to figure her out. He let out a long shaky sigh not knowing what to think about her. He looked sourly at his abandoned book which seemed to be crying 'Read me'. Fat chance now, he thought getting to his feet.

After charming the door shut, he made his way to the Great Hall. He walked through the dungeons silently, his footsteps barely making sound. He was completely engrossed in his thoughts which were a tangled mess at the moment that ran in circles. He could feel a headache threatening to come about so he tried in vain to settle his mind. By the time he reached the hall, food was already on the plates and people were chattering aimlessly. Only a few people that weren't too deep in their pointless conversations noticed him as he made his way to the staff table. Rachel was one of them. She watched as he strode past the Slytherins up to the staff table. Dumbledore stopped him as he past and whispered something in his ear; Snape nodded in response and took his seat next to… Mr. Lupin?

She blinked. What's he doing here? She made a mental note to ask him as she started on her dinner again. She downed the rest of her pumpkin juice as people began making their way to their common rooms. She tried making her way through the crowd to get to Lupin but for every step she took people would push her five steps back. By the time the hall cleared of students, Lupin, she saw had already left though Snape was still there talking to Dumbledore at the table. She quickly left after realizing she was the only other person there and didn't want them to think she was eavesdropping.

Making a face, she started for the common room. She stopped dead in her tracks, "Crap it, I have homework!" Her potions textbook didn't cover memory potions and she left the first year book in the classroom. Was it too late to go back and get it? The library was closed too… She bit her lip. Curfew was going to kick in soon, she might have just enough time to go back to the dungeons and ask Snape to borrow the book… if only she had waited till after he was done talking! Making a snap decision she sprinted off towards the dungeons.

She slowed as she approached the classroom; the door was closed, locked, she realized trying to open it. She knocked but no answer came. She groaned. There were a number of other locked doors but she hadn't a clue which was his office (and if he'd even be in it!). Defeated she quickly made her way back up to the common room. It wasn't very crowded there so she took a seat by the window and pulled her books out. Divination…. She scribbled some predictions down and randomly matched them to whoever she could think of. It came out a little ridiculous but when compared with Trelawney's, they didn't seem too outlandish. Thinking of today's class brought Rachel back to the 'death sentence' that had been placed on her.

'…_you'll die an unnatural death and… rather soon.'_

Trelawney's words rang clear through her mind. It couldn't be true right? How could it be? She was in Hogwarts for her safety, those guys, death eaters, couldn't possibly get her in here…. Could they? She glanced around nervous, suddenly scared of the growing shadows and the darkness outside the window, her imagination conjuring up horrible scenarios. She shook her head. They wouldn't let anything happen to her… Snape popped into her mind. He wouldn't let anything happen to her… right? Course not… But she had to help him first… Earlier having seen Snape at not his worst but close to it, had made her realize that he really wasn't as horrible as everyone thought, odd as that was. Her good ol' Rachel psychology had kicked in and before she knew it, she had painted the sad traumatizing picture of Severus Snape's life –whether or not it was true, she had no way of knowing. Pity formed for the man whom she now believed was a deeply misunderstood person with a shady past that caused him to turn bitter and distant… She was determined to break through his defenses and show him someone cared… She sighed, thinking of how hard it would be….

"Is something the matter?" Luna's soft voice broke her thoughts.

Rachel blinked. "Uh no." she lied though Luna saw through it.

Luna contemplated her answer but didn't press her further. "I think the nargles are getting to me too; the stress of school attracts them…" She stared at a fixed spot on the ceiling before slowly walking off.

Rachel looked after her confused before turning her thoughts back to Snape –no-- homework. He had given her an assignment. It was due…Wednesday. She sighed in relief. At least she didn't have to pull an all-nighter… She piled her books up and retreated to her dorm. After her before-bed routine, she climbed into her four-poster, her last conscious thoughts drifting over the day's happenings and what was to come…

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**AN:** That took awhile! Deathly Hallows wow. That's it just wow. Anywho, please give me feedback and I'll promise to get chapters out fasters! Reviews equal fuel!! 


	14. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter any more than I did last  
chapter.

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Chapter Fourteen 

A series of clangs, bangs and shouts of surprise awoke Rachel from her almost peaceful slumber. The sun wasn't in its normal position in the sky when she woke; it was still early. The heads of her fellow Ravenclaws poked out from their blue curtains, each wearing an expression of confusion. Rachel swung her legs over the side of her four-poster, facing Luna.

"What's going on?" she asked yawning as the others cautiously walked into the sitting room. Rachel saw her bare bedpost only now realizing she hadn't put the socks on it. "It isn't the house elves, is it?" she asked worried. Luna gave her a small smile and shrugged then headed down the spiral staircase to the others, Rachel in tow. There the rest of the house was gathering as to see what the commotion that woke them was. Outside in the hall, there was a loud cackle and another loud metallic clash.

"Th' bloody 'ell is that?!" exclaimed one boy. There were murmurs amongst them as a prefect, looking important and quite irked went to inspect the ruckus. "Out of my way. Let me see," he said pushing through the crowd. Only seconds after he poked his head out did he immediately draw back with a yelp of surprise and a head full of wet hair. "Roger, what was it?" one of his friends asked. Roger wiped his face with the sleeve of his PJ's. "Peeves!" he sputtered. "The git jinxed the armor; it was dancing and tried to take my head off with a water balloon!" More whispers erupted throughout the room.

"Someone's got to stop it!"

"Get the Headmaster!"

"I'm never going to get to sleep and I have a test tomorrow!"

"We're trapped!"

"What should we do?"

Rachel frowned, "Call the Ghostbusters?" she said under her breath. Then the clattering got louder and the doors burst open and in came the small form of their Head of House, wand in hand and a round blue shield floating beside him. "Back!" he yelled shaking his wand menacingly as a balloon aimed at him smashed on the shield. He magicked the door closed, breathing hard.

"Professor, what's going on?" one girl asked. Flitwick waved the shield away and turned to his house. "No need to worry. I've gotten things taken care of." He squeaked. The clash of metal on stone dissipated down the corridor as the armor danced away to become someone else's aggravation. Rachel raised a brow, 'Is that so?' she thought. "Well as of now, the common room is accessible to anyone since the password keeper has ...abandoned its post. Never fear, never fear, I'll have a new system of admittance granting up and running my breakfast. Now back to bed with you lot," he said waving his little arms in a shooing manner. There were voices of pretest from some of the older students but they eventually retreated back into their dorms. Rachel stayed behind after Flitwick left.

"Aren't you coming?" asked Luna.

"Yeah," Rachel said distracted, "I'll be up in a bit." Luna nodded and went off to bed. Rachel seated herself in an armchair by the hearth; a fire sprang to life causing her to jerk back in surprise. She relaxed realizing there was no danger and drew her knees up to her chest. From the other side of the door, small flashes of light shone through the cracks in the door; she could hear Prof. Flitwick whispering incantations securing the door. She smiled.

"Magic is so cool…"

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The Great Hall was alive with talk after the early morning episode, the dancing balloon-wielding armor having found its way to the trophy room, the girls spare bathroom—forcing those to use the one inhabited by Moaning Myrtle or the prefect's, the latter the more preferable—the kitchens and then finally the dungeons where it was subdued after waking a very disgruntled Prof. Snape. To the students amusement though, its steel feet were still tap-dancing their way across the castle.

Rachel stared tiredly into her bowl of oatmeal; she didn't have much of an appetite and regardless, wouldn't think of attempting to lift a spoon seeing as she was using her whole strength to keep from falling face first into her grayish porridge. "Morning, Harry." She heard Luna say. She looked up.

"Harry! Hey," she said unable to find the right words.

He smiled, taking a seat beside her. "G'morning. Sleep well?" he asked grinning. "Do you mean _before _or _after_ our knight went bonkers and woke everyone?" He laughed, "Woke us up too. You should have seen McGonagall, thought she was going to explode!" Rachel laughed with him despite her weariness.

"What brings you to the smart kid's club?" she smiled, aware of the Ravenclaw stereotype.

"Just wanted to see how you were, feels like forever since we got to talk."

"Yeah…"

"Wanted to give them some space too," he nodded his ahead of them. She followed his gaze to the Gryffindor table; she could see Hermione looking angry and waving her arms at Ron who was red in the ears and staring fixedly at a spot on the table. Rachel laughed, "Are they an item yet?"

Harry look flabbergasted, caught off guard by the question as if she was asking about themselves, "Well I—we don't really--," he sighed, "No, I don't think so; at least not officially…"

"Oh…they're cute together though."

"Yeah, I guess…" Harry said looking at his hands.

At the same time they both tried to speak but each others words were drowned out. "Sorry," they said simultaneously and laughed. "You first," said Harry playing the gentleman. "Well, I was just going to say--"

"Hi, Harry!" cried a feminine voice from behind. Rachel turned to face a girl with long black hair, another Ravenclaw. "Oh…hi Cho." She heard Harry say half heartedly. She smiled and daintily sat in the spot between them that they left respectfully for personal space. "Its been too long! I meant to write you over the summer but things have been kind of busy, you know?" He glanced at Rachel, "Yeah, …busy." He gave her an apologizing smile and she looked understanding but the minute he averted his gaze back to Cho, she was glaring daggers at the back at the girl's head. For some reason unbeknownst to her, hot anger bubbled in her gut at the thought of her and something else too—jealousy? No, why'd she be jealous? Suddenly she looked away, feeling self conscious; she thought of her appearance, she must look a mess; she only had time that morning to quickly throw her hair into a slapdash French braid. She noticed the chipping nail polish on her fingers and sat up straight trying to compensate. When she composed herself, she caught them saying their goodbyes, "Hold on Marietta!" Cho called over her shoulders to an impatient looking girl down the table. "See you later, Harry." She said and in a swish of dark hair, she was gone.

Rachel didn't say anything, glad the girl left. Harry looked flustered and seemed ready to apologize but the bell cut him off. They both stood reluctantly, not ready to finish their conversation. "I'll talk to you later, okay?" Harry said looking at Ron and Hermione who were waiting at the entrance. "We'll have to work out time in our schedules." He said hurriedly. "What do you have for—"

"Harry!"

"C'mon mate, we have to make it to the other side of the castle."

Harry sighed looking defeated. "Go on, don't be late. I'll see you at lunch." He nodded and headed to class, casting a smile at her before disappearing around a corner. Rachel stood there for a moment then her mind seemed to focus. History of Magic… Quickly she made for a staircase when someone pulled her back.

"Draco!"

He looked upset, like a snake about to strike. "Why didn't you tell me?" he demanded. She blinked, "Tell you what?" she asked confused. He crossed his arms impatiently and looked about to stomp his foot. "That your friends with that—" he stopped himself, "Potter!"

"Harry?" she asked innocently.

He snorted, "Yes, _Harry._" She furrowed her brow. "Why do you care anyways?" she asked getting annoyed and a bit angry. "Who I'm friends with is none of your business! And I don't appreciate you taking that tone with me!" she hissed then in a calmer yet still irritated voice said, "I have to go or else I'll be late." She started up the stairs when he called to her, "Rachel?" Reluctantly, she turned.

"It was just… I mean I'm—" he swallowed and sighed. "I'm sorry." Sincerity was etched into his face and weaved into his voice, scared that she'd stay upset with him. She gave him a reassuring smile, letting him know all was forgiven. She had to stop herself from laughing, he was looking a bit pathetic. She could tell he wasn't used to apologizing. "I have to go now…" she said climbing the stairs again. "I'll see you later, Rachel." He called; she could tell he was grinning. She lazily rolled her eyes. 'This kid just doesn't quit..'

Once on the landing, she broke into a run, praying she wouldn't be late but just as she caught sight of the door, the bell rang. She sped up hoping to get there before it gave out but it did, its last syllable ringing off the walls leaving her in a heavy silence. She slowed to a halt in front of the class, she risked a glance inside. A ghost was teaching, he had his back to the class pointing at the blackboard and reading the extensive notes. She crept into her seat thought it wasn't necessary. She very well could've come in with a marching band and the professor wouldn't have missed a beat in his lecture.

She grabbed the textbook entitled, _Wizarding Wonders of the Eighteenth Century_. In her relief as she looked around the room, no one seemed to have took notice of her late arrival or at least didn't say anything – the class seemed to be either asleep or struggling to stay conscious. Rachel had always been a good student, a teacher's pet, an apple polisher but it was just downright painful to try and listen to Prof. Binns' dull speech. She tried to look alert and nodded her head pretending to seem interested to make up for her lateness. But her body had other plans; not even fifteen minutes into 'Brattlehurst the Brave' and how he helped contain the goblin rebellion of 1842, she was slumped in her desk and snoring ever so slightly.

It was the rustling and moving of desks that brought her to her senses. Gathering her thoughts, and things, she came to stand in front of Prof. Binns' desk. She had to loudly clear her throat to get his attention. "Professor, what was the assignment again?" she asked trying to clarify whether or not there even _was _an assignment. He looked up abruptly. "Assignment? Oh yes… read chapters 17 through 23 and write a brief overview." He said adjusting his spectral spectacles. She nodded writing it down on her palm—no time to get out parchment. "That all?"

"Hmm…Oh yes, why, you're the new student, are you? Of course you are. I once knew someone from America—called him Griltuft the Greenthumbed; actually tamed—"

"Professor, I er need to get to class…" she said feeling guilty for ignoring him again; it probably happened to him a lot. He nodded his head a few times, still talking and slowly drifted through the blackboard, leaving her in an empty classroom.

She hurried down the flights of stairs, stopping only twice for moving staircases. Once out on the grounds, she realized she didn't know where the class was held. She scanned the grounds but couldn't see anyone. Stepping down the stone path, she could faintly make out a voice on the wind. It sounded like… no way. Walking quickly in the direction of the familiar voice, she found herself nearing the forest. As she rounded a hill, a little ways off she could see the giant figure of Hagrid while a group of students stood by listening to him. Excited, she made off for them. Upon seeing her, Hagrid waved and welcomed her, "Oi, Rachel, I was jus' won'erin' where yer where. Try an' be a bit quicker in getting' 'ere, alrigh'?"

She nodded. "Sorry." He grunted and turned back to the class. "Alrigh' now I found somethin' you migh' be interested in, jus' o'er 'ere, bit inter the fores'. Follow me," He called over his shoulder, leading them into the forest. Just some ways in, they happened upon a clearing with many holes and piles of dirt. "Can anyone tell me what these are?" he asked eagerly.

The students looked to one another swapping ideas. "Holes?" said one boy stating the obvious answer. Hagrid shook his head, "They're not just 'oles, they're mooncalf burrows." He beamed. "Found 'em abou' a week ago with Fang,"

"Ha—er Professor Hagrid," Rachel started, "What exactly _are_ mooncalves?"

The rest of the class nodded, also lost. "Well, mooncalves are terrible shy little creatures, very rare to see since they only come out of their homes," he pointed to the holes, "…during the full moon."

"So we can't see them?" asked a Hufflepuff girl disappointed.

"Well not today, but a full moons coming up and I've got Prof. Dumbledore's permission ter change the class time ter later that night so we can get a chance to see 'em, but that's if we're lucky. But what we're really after is their manure." There was an aghast groan throughout the students. "Mooncalf dung is a grea' fertilizer; I've promised Prof. Sprout some." he explained.

Since the nocturnal stars of the class were absent, the rest of the class went as a bit of a nature walk with Hagrid explaining all the noises and markings in the forest. He let them inspect the burrows; one boy actually got stuck in one, trying to see if he could fit-- he couldnt. Rachel even got to see the _Jobberknoll _whose feathers were used in memory potions. She giggled at the thought of her last Potions class; it had gone un-expectantly better than she had thought it would. Professor Snape wasn't really as bad as Harry and his friends thought, save for that bit in the beginning of class but Rachel imagined she caught him at a bad time.

"You didn't tell me you're a teacher, Hagrid." Rachel said as they treaded out of the forest.

"Yeah, well, guess it slipped my mind, wha' with all the Order business goin' on. Been real busy, I 'ave. Got a job from Dumbledore 'imself, searchin' for a fella; used ter work in Flourish an' Blotts. 'E was suppose' ter 'ave a book fer--" He stopped as if he let something slip that he shouldn't have. "Nice weather, eh?"

Rachel stared, "Yeah…"

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AN: Was going to make it longer but decided just to update now to make you guys happy. Lol hope you liked it [: 


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